Mom accidentally shoots 10-year-old daughter while trying to shoot girl’s dad, cops say

A mom accidentally shot her 10-year-old daughter in the leg while trying to shoot her daughter’s dad, then didn’t take the girl to a hospital, Louisiana authorities said.

Now the 29-year-old mom is charged with attempted second-degree murder, second-degree cruelty to a juvenile and illegal use of a weapon, according to the Baton Rouge Police Department.

McClatchy News is not identifying the mom to protect her daughter’s identity.

The mom got in an argument with her daughter’s father on Dec. 3 and shot at him multiple times inside a home but didn’t hit him, police said in an arrest affidavit.

Then she walked outside but said she accidentally fired the gun again, hitting her daughter’s left leg, according to police.

She bandaged her daughter’s wound but didn’t take her to a hospital out of fear of being arrested, she told police, according to the affidavit.

She texted her neighbor and asked if she could watch one of her kids, and the dad brought the child over, the neighbor told police.

The next morning, Dec. 4, the mom went to the neighbor’s home, and the neighbor noticed the girl’s wound and insisted the girl needed medical attention, police said.

The mom told her she had accidentally shot her daughter but was too afraid of being arrested to get help, then she left with her kids, the neighbor told police.

The neighbor called and texted the mom, convincing her to come back with the 10-year-old so the neighbor could take her to a hospital, police said.

Officers were dispatched to the hospital, and after speaking with the girl and the neighbor, they went to the home to interview the mom and take her into custody.

This story was originally published December 9, 2024 at 7:50 AM with the headline "Mom accidentally shoots 10-year-old daughter while trying to shoot girl’s dad, cops say."