Family friend arrested, charged after 2-year-old critically injured in ‘unintentional’ shooting in Channelview

CHANNELVIEW, Texas – Authorities say a man has been arrested after a 2-year-old was accidentally shot in what investigators described as an “unintentional gunshot wound.”

According to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, deputies responded to a residence in the 700 block of Onaleigh Drive in Channelview after receiving the call.

The emergency call dropped around 12:14 p.m. on Friday.

Sheriff Gonzalez says the child remains in critical, but stable condition. He is expected to survive.

HCSO Major Ben Katrib and authorities gave preliminary information at the scene.

Seven adults were inside a living room when they heard a gunshot go off in a bedroom. Investigators said the family found a 4-year-old and 2-year-old alone in the room, where a firearm was unsecured, and the 2-year-old had been shot. It is unclear which child fired the weapon.

The gun was then secured inside a vehicle before deputies arrived to the scene. The victim’s mother was at work.

Deputies said several people on scene were temporarily detained as part of standard investigative procedure and tested for gunshot residue.

Investigators said the children are not siblings.

Friday evening, Sheriff Gonzalez announced Santiago Daniel Canet, 25, was arrested and charged with making a firearm accessible to a minor, which is a misdemeanor.

Gonzalez said Canet is said to be a friend of the family that was visiting from out of town and is the owner of the gun.

Canet has been booked into the Harris County Jail.