November 25, 2016
A 2-year-old boy is in critical condition after being shot by his cousin in North Philadelphia on Thanksgiving, police said.
Now, the boys parents have been arrested charged in connection with the shooting, 6ABC reported Friday evening.
The incident occurred on the 3500 block of North Ninth Street around 4:23 p.m. Police said the boy and his 4-year-old male cousin allegedly were playing with a gun inside a residence when the younger child was shot.
The toddler was taken to Temple University Hospital before being transferred to St. Christopher's Hospital.
The boy's mother and father were in the home at the time of the incident, police said. 6ABC identified them as Rachel Santiago, 34, and Omar Laboy-Vega, 34. Santiago is charged with endangering the welfare of a child, and Laboy-Vega is charged endangering the child and a weapons offense.
The shooting reportedly took place in the home's first-floor living room, and the weapon was a .40-caliber handgun. Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told 6ABC:
"The mother was preparing Thanksgiving dinner when the two children were playing with the gun."
The weapon reportedly was fired once by the 4-year-old and the 2-year-old was struck in the chest by the bullet.
