Albuquerque,NM (KKOB) – The mother of a 14-year-old boy who accidentally shot his friend in the shoulder, has been arrested and charged under Bennie’s law. The shooting happend on August 22 inside the bathroom of a home on the 2800 block of Manzano St NE.
Leigh Cleveland, 41, was charged with Negligently Making a Firearm Accessible to a Minor. She turned herself in to police on Friday.
On the day of the shooting, several boys were inside a bathroom and one of the boys was handling a handgun.
According to APD, the boy was pointing the gun and pulling the trigger while the magazine and ammunition were not in the gun. When the boy inserted the magazine and manipulated the slide the firearm discharged, striking the 14-year-old victim in the shoulder.
The boy was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The shooter was taken into custody and transported to the Juvenile Detention Center.
During interviews with detectives, Cleveland, said the firearm belonged to her and that she kept it inside her office at the home and that the children knew where firearms were kept and that she relied on the children knowing they were and were not supposed to touch them.
Detectives recovered three handguns from the room identified as Cleveland’s office area. One Glock handgun was located on top of a dresser, while two additional handguns were found inside a dresser drawer. Two of the firearms contained loaded magazines. Investigators also recovered magazines, ammunition, and a cellphone from the residence.
The investigation found that the firearms were not locked or otherwise secured in a manner that prevented the children from accessing them.
