GLENDALE, AZ — A 4-year-old boy is in the hospital after he accidentally shot himself Wednesday morning at a home in Glendale.
Glendale police say they were called to the home near 67th Avenue and Camelback Road around 10 a.m.
A boy was found with a gunshot wound to the chest and taken to a hospital. On Thursday morning, police said the child was in stable condition and expected to survive.
WATCH: Glendale PD provided update on the shooting:
During an initial investigation, detectives learned the boy was in bed with his father's girlfriend taking a nap when he reached under a pillow and an "accidental discharge" occurred. Glendale police say the girlfriend had put her 9mm handgun under the pillow.
The woman, identified as 31-year-old Laquasha Sebastian, and the boy's father, 44-year-old Kevin Rhymes, have been arrested on several charges including child abuse and child endangerment.
Police say one other child was inside the home at the time and was not injured. The Department of Child Services was called to the scene to investigate. It's unclear if the uninjured child was placed into DCS custody.
According to police documents, Rhymes is a prohibited possessor but still had weapons in the home, and the firearms were unsecured “and in locations (where) the children have easy access to them.”
Documents also show that officers had responded to the home several times over the last year or so, including calls related to domestic violence and one incident when the victim was found to be “playing with a handgun.” DCS was contacted during that incident and the couple was educated on gun safety, police say.
The shooting remains under investigation.
