3-year-old shoots two toddlers in daycare, owners face charges

NEW DELHI: A three-year-old kid from Michigan's Dearborn shot two other toddlers with a handgun in a daycare, a media report said on Friday.

According to The Washington Post, the incident took place in late September.

Samantha Eubanks, who did not have the license to run the daycare facility in her home, was looking after six children when she heard a noise upstairs. 

She reportedly knew her husband's weapons were kept in the second-floor bedroom.

The wounded duo was immediately rushed to the hospital in critical condition. One of them lost an eye after undergoing numerous surgeries, the report said.

Charges were filed against Samantha and her husband Timothy Eubanks, parents of the toddler who fired the shots, on Thursday for illegally running the facility.

While Timothy is charged with six counts of second-degree child abuse, Samantha is booked under 12 counts of second-degree child abuse and two counts of felony firearm.

The couple is likely to face 10 years of imprisonment.

"The allegations, in this case, have set forth a tremendous tragedy," 19th District Court Judge Gene Hunt said at an arraignment. "And the tragedy, although not intentional, was the result of reckless disregard for the safety of the children."

The children shot in the home will require "long-term care," Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad said in a news conference.

"That toddler apparently knew how to fire that weapon," Haddad added. "The fact that the weapon was in proximity where someone very small could get it is totally unacceptable."

He said that all gun owners have an obligation to keep those around them safe.