Little Kavan Collins was walking down a Chicago street with his mother in June 2016 when he was hit in the face by a stray bullet from a drive-by shooting. On Tuesday, the 5-year-old accidentally shot himself in the hand with a handgun he found in the home of a family member, authorities said.
The Chicago Tribune reports that young Kavan was at the home of his father’s family when the incident happened. He was trying to hide a toy from his brother under his father’s mattress when he found the handgun and pulled the trigger, authorities said.
He had surgery and a skin graft Wednesday and was expected to be back home with his family in time for Christmas.
Kavan’s father, 25-year-old Kevin Collins, has been charged with being an armed habitual criminal, unlawful use of a weapon and possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number—all of which are felonies. In addition, he has been charged with misdemeanor child endangerment.
Collins was scheduled to appear in court Thursday.
Kavan was treated at Comer Children’s Hospital—the same hospital he was treated at last year after the drive-by shooting.
At the hospital Wednesday, Kavan gave a simple explanation for how he got hurt Tuesday.
“I picked up the wrong thing and shot myself in the hand,” he said.
Read more at the Chicago Tribune.
