OAKLAND, Calif. — Officials say a man faces child abuse and weapons charges after his 7-year-old son shot himself in the hand at an Oakland homeless camp with the father's illegally-owned gun.
The East Bay Times reported Friday that John Shurn has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts including possession of a firearm by a felon. The 39-year-old is being held without bail on a probation violation.
Police say the boy, who lives with a relative in another city, was visiting his father when the shooting happened last month at a homeless camp consisting of multiple RVs.
Officials say investigators were told conflicting accounts of how the child was wounded. Police eventually confirmed the boy had shot himself inside the RV his father was living in.
The boy was treated at a hospital and released the same day.