A Mississippi man faces severe charges after a two-year-old boy was shot in the head in what authorities describe as a tragic incident of domestic violence. Eduardo Montero is charged with four counts of attempted murder, three counts of felony child abuse, and one count of domestic violence aggravated assault, stated the Marshall County Sheriff's Office. WREG reported that Montero is being held on a $2 million bond, a reflection of the grave nature of the charges. The toddler, identified by his mother as Eduardo, remains in extremely critical condition.
The events unfolded around midnight on July 29 at a mobile home park off Cayce Road in Marshall County, just south of the Tennessee state line. An escalating argument between a man and a woman at the home on Thornton Cove led to a gun being discharged, striking the child who was in bed at the time. "They were in a relationship and they were in the midst of splitting up, and the altercation led to a weapon being pulled, and there was a struggle and there was a shot fired," Lt. Col. Kelly McMillen of the Marshall County Sheriff’s Department told WREG.
The child was immediately taken to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis following the incident, highlighted by Action News 5, which underscores the urgency and gravity of the situation. Additionally, a second person was initially in custody but has since been released and will not face charges in relation to the unfortunate event.
Further details given by the Marshall County Sheriff's Office elucidated that the altercation occurred early Monday morning, and involved a couple arguing when a gun was picked up and discharged. According to a FOX13 Memphis report, a shot fired accidentally hit the 2-year-old's head, in a moment where domestic discord manifested as a life-threatening emergency for the most innocent of bystanders.
