ST. PAUL, Minn. — A 33-year-old St. Paul man has been charged after his 13-year-old niece shot his 11-year-old son in the head, seriously injuring him, according to a complaint filed in Ramsey County on Monday.
The shooting happened around 9 p.m. Friday on the 800 block of Pierce Butler Route in St. Paul. The suspected shooter was found five minutes away along Charles Avenue, according to police. As she was taken into custody, she allegedly stated she “accidentally shot somebody” and “didn’t know the gun was loaded.”
Martinez Castillo Lloyd is facing one count each of illegal possession of a firearm and negligent storage of firearms for the incident.
Charges state Lloyd is the father of two of the children who were present during the incident, including the 11-year-old boy. His children do not live with him, but “visit frequently,” according to the complaint.
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The two children were at Lloyd’s apartment with several friends and relatives, ranging in age from 10 to 13 years old, when Lloyd allegedly left to go to the store. After he left, his son and niece went into Lloyd’s bedroom and retrieved two of his firearms. The firearms were kept in a “higher up unlocked drawer in a closet that the juveniles can easily reach,” charges state.
The two admitted that they had played with the firearms “a dozen times” over the last year when Lloyd was not around and that the guns were typically unloaded. The 13-year-old suspect said she had last played with the firearm the weekend prior.
Charges say that as the girl was waving a revolver, it went off, hitting the young boy in the face.
In an interview with police, Lloyd told investigators he had seen the children playing with the guns in the past and had told them to put them back. He added he usually kept the guns unloaded in a high cabinet and had them only for protection.
During a search of the apartment, police recovered two handguns, according to St. Paul police.
Due to a prior felony conviction, Lloyd is not allowed to possess a firearm or ammunition.
The boy remains in critical condition.
Lloyd’s first court appearance is scheduled for Tuesday morning.
“This tragedy is a painful reminder of the need to safely and securely store guns out of the reach of children,” said Ramsey County Attorney John Choi.
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