Albuquerque, NM (KKOB) – A 26-year old Albuquerque man is facing charges related to an incident where an 8-year old girl shot herself with a gun left out in the open and not securely put away. Around 6 a.m., the girl found and was handling the gun when it discharged and she was struck in both her legs. 26-year old Isaiah Chavez heard the shot and saw the 8-year old bleeding and immediately took possession of the gun and notified his mom who put a tourniquet on the girls leg and drove her to the hospital. The girl is recovering this morning as the wound is not life-threatening. Chavez was arrested by police after the shooting and he reportedly told officers that he had stayed at the home overnight and put the gun on the counter and slept on the couch. He is now charged with child abuse and negligently making a firearm accessible to a minor also known as Bennie’s Law or the Bennie Hargrove Gun Safety Act.
