ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office charged a 48-year-old man after a 3-year-old was seriously injured earlier this week in an accidental shooting.
According to a spokesperson with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the shooting occurred just after 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 5500 block of Thrush Avenue, located in the Walnut Park East neighborhood.
A probable cause statement from police says officers arrived and learned the victim was shot by his brother, who is also a minor. The victim was rushed to a local hospital to be treated for a gunshot wound to his lower back. He’s said to be in critical condition.
While interviewing people in the house, police claim Markeith Mayo told officers he owned a .380 ACP handgun and kept it in a dresser drawer where the children could reach. Mayo also admitted to being a convicted felon and that he knew he was not allowed to have a firearm.
Police and prosecutors verified that Mayo has a September 2009 conviction for second-degree drug trafficking in St. Louis County.
Mayo was charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a child – serious physical injury and unlawful possession of a firearm.