A 3-year-old Tampa boy is recovering after police say he was shot in the forearm on Tuesday when he grabbed a loaded handgun that had been left in a bed. The child was taken to a nearby hospital and listed in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries. Officers arrested 30-year-old Steve Johnson and booked him into Orient Road Jail on several charges tied to the shooting.
How investigators say the shooting unfolded
According to a Tampa Police Department news release, officers were called around 7:14 p.m. to the 3600 block of N. 51st Street. Investigators say the boy had been in bed with his mother and her boyfriend when the man left the room and allegedly left a loaded handgun unsecured in the bed.
Detectives say the toddler reached for the firearm, which went off and struck him in the forearm. Officers later recovered the weapon along with additional evidence at the scene. The initial account was also reported by the Tampa Free Press, consistent with the details in the department’s release.
Chief: 'No excuse for such negligence'
“It is incredibly fortunate that this was not a fatal tragedy,” Chief Lee Bercaw said in a department statement. “This incident highlights the double danger of a convicted felon unlawfully possessing a firearm and then failing to secure it.”
The department said the investigation remains active and that more information could be released as it becomes available.
Charges and state law on safe storage
Investigators say Johnson is a convicted felon. Police charged him with felon in possession of a firearm, child neglect with great bodily harm, failure to safely store a firearm and possession of cannabis under 20 grams.
Florida law requires that loaded firearms be kept locked or otherwise secured when a minor could gain access, and separate statutes prohibit convicted felons from possessing guns. The Florida statutes outline safe-storage rules and related penalties.
City programs and national context
The Tampa Police Department points to its Project Locked & Unloaded program, which provides free gun locks at district offices, headquarters and several libraries, along with its partnership with Be SMART to promote safe storage and firearm safety education. Officials urged parents and caregivers to keep firearms locked and out of reach of children.
Nationally, analysts say firearm deaths and injuries among children have increased in recent years. A KFF analysis found firearms were involved in roughly 20% of child and teen deaths in 2020–21. See the city's program page and the KFF analysis for more on prevention efforts and broader trends.
The investigation is ongoing, and detectives are asking anyone with information about the case to contact the Tampa Police Department.
