Mother arrested after 4-year-old reportedly shot himself in Sacramento, police say
SACRAMENTO – A 4-year-old boy is expected to survive after Sacramento Police say he shot himself in south Sacramento on Friday afternoon and his mother was arrested on related charges.
Latisha Walker, 26, is facing three felony charges including having a concealed firearm in a vehicle, endangering the life of a child, and criminal storage of a firearm. Her bail is set at $75,000.
The charges stem from a shooting around 1:45 p.m. on Friday on the 4500 block of Mack Road.
While police were en route, customers inside nearby businesses heard the boy calling for help.
One of those who heard him was 19-year-old Shynice Cordoba, who was at a nail salon when she heard the boy's mother screaming and a "noise", but no gunshot.
"I go outside, he's just laying on the floor. I need something to put pressure on his wound," said Cordoba. She said, by this point, the boy's mother was outside and screaming.
Employees at a nearby restaurant told CBS13 that the 4-year-old's mother was inside picking up a takeout order, less than five minutes, and by the time she went back outside, her son was already shot.
"I get the tissue and I put it on his wound. He was talking to me and I was talking to him, he was really scared," said Cordoba. "He kept saying he shot himself, he shot himself. So I was like, it's OK you're not in trouble. It's fine."
Cordoba said the boy tried to get up, but she told him to stay put on his side to slow the bleeding. She said she referenced Paw Patrol, a cartoon show for children featuring rescue dogs as first responders, including police. When the boy told her he liked the show, she said she used that as an example of the heroes on their way to help, referencing Sacramento police.
Officers arrived at the scene quickly, according to a police spokesperson, and gave the child medical aid on-site before he was transported to a local hospital.
Hours after the shooting, investigators had a portion of the shopping center and parking lot blocked to traffic. Walker was detained within two hours of the shooting and was booked in the Sacramento County Jail by Friday night.
Walker will make her first court appearance for the charges on Wednesday.
