In a troubling incident out of Hialeah, Derrick John Spence Jr., a 33-year-old man, faces charges following his 10-year-old nephew accidentally shooting himself with a gun found in Spence's car. The child was left unattended in the vehicle parked outside a Little Caesars on East 8th Avenue when he discovered the loaded handgun inside the glove compartment and wounded his left hand.
Following the event, Spence allegedly concocted a story in which the boy's injury was due to having his hand slammed in a car door. However, the severity of the injury led the child's grandmother to suspect otherwise and take him for medical attention at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale. It was there that the boy admitted to the true nature of his injury, "accidentally shot himself," as reported by Local10.
Hialeah Police, responding to the case at the medical center, discovered a bullet hole in the driver's side door of Spence's Nissan Altima and evidence of blood inside the vehicle. Contradicting his initial claim of ignorance regarding the incident, Spence later admitted that the child had been left alone while he placed an order at the restaurant. Investigators were able to recover the firearm, a spent casing, and other evidence from the scene. These findings led to Spence's arrest and subsequent transportation to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center.
Spence, who had temporary custody of the boy, is now charged with one count of felony culpable negligence for not securing his firearm. If convicted, the charge could result in severe legal consequences, considering the serious injury sustained by the child. This development was shared by CBS Miami, affirming that the incident serves as a somber reminder of the critical importance of firearm safety, especially around minors. Spence's bond has been set at $2,500.
