A quiet Scandia neighborhood got a serious scare after a 10-year-old girl allegedly pulled a loaded handgun from her family’s SUV, pointed it at a neighborhood boy and warned she would fire, according to a newly filed criminal complaint. No one was hurt, but the episode, flagged to Washington County authorities after a parent emailed a school principal, has now landed the girl’s mother in court.
According to Pioneer Press, court documents identify the mother as 35 years old and say the firearm, a Beretta 9mm, was stored in the center console of her SUV. The complaint says the pistol was in a holster with five rounds in the magazine and none in the chamber, and notes that the woman holds a valid permit to carry.
The neighbor boy told investigators he saw the girl walk to the vehicle, take the pistol from its holster, point it at him and say, "I'm not afraid to use this," before running away, CBS Minnesota reports. According to the complaint, school officials learned about the incident when a parent emailed the principal, saying the child had "broken the biggest rule in the household" and would not be allowed to attend a field trip.
Charges and court date
The mother has been charged by summons with negligent storage of a firearm and is scheduled to make her initial court appearance on Aug. 26 in Washington County District Court, as reported by Pioneer Press. If the charge is proved, the offense carries a potential fine of up to $3,000 and a sentence of no more than 364 days in jail, according to the filing.
Where this fits in a larger problem
Nationally, unintentional shootings by children are a persistent public health concern: Everytown Research's decade-long #NotAnAccident index counted at least 3,580 unintentional shootings by children from 2015 through 2024, leaving more than 1,300 people dead and over 2,300 wounded. The Everytown analysis found that the vast majority of victims in those incidents were other children, underscoring how unsecured guns can put kids at risk even without any criminal intent.
State guidance and prevention
Minnesota officials have been expanding safe-storage outreach. Executive Order 25-12 directed the Department of Public Safety to develop best practices on secure firearm storage and to work with the Department of Education to distribute guidance and options for free or low-cost gun locks, among other steps (Governor's office). National safety campaigns such as Be SMART emphasize the same basic checklist: keep guns unloaded, locked and stored separately from ammunition as a straightforward way to reduce these kinds of incidents (Be SMART).
The Scandia case, brought to light by a parent and school staff and now moving through Washington County court, lands squarely in the middle of that conversation. Prosecutors will take up the question the governor’s order points to: what happens when firearms are left where children can reach them.
