Charges filed against man whose son, 5, accidentally shot himself in Woodlawn
Bernard Shields | Chicago police
CHICAGO - A man whose 5-year-old son accidentally shot himself Friday in Woodlawn is facing multiple weapons charges.
Bernard Shields, 36, is charged with one felony count each of being an armed habitual criminal and possession of a controlled substance, according to Chicago police.
He also faces misdemeanor counts of unlawful use of a weapon, possession of ammunition without a FOID card, violating an order of protection and causing a child to be endangered, police said.
The boy found the gun in his father’s pocket just after midnight while his parents slept in the Woodlawn home, police said. He took the gun to the bathroom, where it accidentally went off, striking him in the hand.
The boy was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in good condition, police said. Shields fled the home but was arrested in the 6100 block of South State Street after officers spotted his vehicle.
He admitted to leaving the home “in a panic to discard the weapon” after officers found his gun in nearby grass, police said.
Shields is scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing on Sunday, according to police.