A 23-month-old was shot in the arm inside a Raleigh home on Ridgewood Drive after two children younger than three years old got hold of an unsecured gun and began handling it, according to police. The weapon fired while the children were playing with it, and the toddler's father, who was supervising them at the time, is now facing a long list of criminal charges.
Raleigh police responded to WakeMed North after the shooting, as reported by ABC11 News. The injured child was treated and later released from the hospital. Other family members responded to the hospital as well and took custody of both children while the investigation continued.
Police identified the father as 30-year-old Jacquan Corbett, who was arrested after the shooting. He was charged with negligent child abuse resulting in serious physical injury, two counts of misdemeanor child abuse, and permitting children to use firearms. Corbett also faces drug-related charges, including possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver marijuana, possession with intent to manufacture, sell or deliver a synthetic cannabinoid, felony possession of a Schedule I controlled substance, and felony maintaining a dwelling, the outlet's report notes.
Child Protective Services Joins the Investigation
Child Protective Services was notified about the shooting and is assisting Raleigh police with the investigation, according to the same report. Raleigh police urged gun owners to securely store firearms in homes where children are present, calling responsible firearm storage an important step in preventing accidental shootings and keeping the community safe.
The charges against Corbett illustrate how North Carolina law treats unsecured firearms around children. Under North Carolina General Statute § 14-315.1, a person who lives with a minor and leaves a firearm loaded and accessible to an unsupervised child commits a Class 1 misdemeanor if the child gains access without permission and causes injury or death. Separately, § 14-316 makes it a misdemeanor to knowingly allow a child under 12 to access, possess, or have custody of any firearm — loaded or unloaded — without adult supervision and parental consent, per the Giffords Law Center.
Felony Threshold Requires Proof of Gross Negligence
The more serious felony charge Corbett faces, negligent child abuse resulting in serious physical injury, falls under North Carolina General Statute § 14-318.4(a5), which the North Carolina General Assembly classifies as a Class G felony when a parent or caregiver's willful act or grossly negligent omission shows reckless disregard for human life and results in serious physical injury to a child under 16. Notably, a 2024 state appeals court ruling in *State v. Cable* found that an unloaded firearm does not meet the statutory definition of being in a condition that it can be discharged under § 14-315.1, meaning prosecutors must prove a weapon was loaded when a minor accessed it, according to the Danny Glover Law Firm, which tracked the precedent.
A Statewide Pattern of Pediatric Gun Injuries
The Ridgewood Drive shooting adds to a troubling statewide tally. North Carolina Department of Public Safety data shows that in 2024, 92 children died from firearm-related injuries and 525 children received emergency room treatment for gun injuries statewide, according to a statement from the Office of Governor Josh Stein. The North Carolina Child Fatality Task Force has also found that firearm-related mortality among the state's youth surged 231% between 2012 and 2021, reaching a rate 1.5 times higher than the national average, per NC Child.
Raleigh's Ridgewood Drive case is not an isolated one in the region this year. Hoodline previously reported on a toddler shooting tied to unsecured gun, and on a separate incident in which a 9-year-old found a gun, hurting a 5-year-old. Both cases resulted in criminal charges against the adults responsible for the children's care.
Free Gun Locks Available Across Raleigh and Wake County
Raleigh police distribute free cable-style gun locks with no questions asked at all six of its district stations during regular business hours and community events, according to the City of Raleigh. The Wake County Sheriff's Office also provides free gun locks at the John H. Baker Jr. Public Safety Center in Raleigh and allows county residents to request home delivery of a lock by a deputy, per Wake County government. Statewide, the North Carolina Department of Public Safety's NC S.A.F.E. initiative, launched in 2023 with $2.5 million in state funding, distributes free gun locks and educational toolkits to curb pediatric gun injuries and firearm thefts.
