Charges: Hinckley man was playing video games when 3-year-old son fatally shot self
HINCKLEY, Minn. -- A 26-year-old Hinckley man faces several felony charges after his 3-year-old son fatally shot himself with an unsecured handgun earlier this month, according to charges filed Monday.
Pine County court documents show Roy Dean Pauza-Moore is charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter and child endangerment by firearm - all felonies. He also faces one gross misdemeanor charge of negligent storage of firearms.
Criminal Complaint Details
On Aug. 8, deputies responded to a home on the 500 block of First Street Southwest just after 9 p.m. after a man called 911 stating his son had shot himself. When deputies arrived, they found the child in an upstairs bedroom, suffering from severe head trauma. The boy was pronounced dead at 9:26 p.m.
Pauza-Moore, who owns the house, said he was playing video games with a roommate while his son was upstairs watching movies alone in the bedroom, the complaint said. He told deputies that at one point he heard a "thump" and a gunshot. He found his 9mm handgun on the floor next to the child.
Pauza-Moore admitted to deputies that his handgun was in an unenclosed and unsecured area of the bedroom, the complaint said.
In a search of the house, law enforcement found two additional guns in a unlocked closet, including a shotgun that was loaded. Various ammunition was also discovered in an unlocked safe, according to the complaint.
If convicted, Pauza-Moore could face up to 10 years in prison.
NOTE: Featured video is from Aug. 8, 2023