AVON, Ind. — A man has been arrested for what police are calling an unintentional shooting at an Avon home that left a 4-year-old girl and her grandmother injured Wednesday.
Members of the Avon Police Department identified 25-year-old Brandon Clark as being preliminarily arrested for criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon.
Clark's arrest came after officers were called to the 7300 block of Glensford Drive, near Rockville Road and North Avon Avenue, around 12:40 p.m.
When they arrived, they found 47-year-old Jennifer Kintyle shot in the breast and her granddaughter had been shot in the legs.
Police said Clark was applying pressure the 4-year-old's leg and had used a dog leash as a makeshift tourniquet. Police said Kintyle was being discharged from the hospital Wednesday evening.
Police said the 4-year-old girl was in surgery at the hospital Wednesday, but was in stable condition.
According to court documents, Clark told officers he was attempting to unload three guns on the couch when the shooting happened. He told them he was going to sell one of the guns to his sister and was showing her the guns. He said each was loaded and had a round in the chamber.
He said, when he momentarily looked away, his 4-year-old niece grabbed one of the guns on the couch and pulled the trigger.
Clark allegedly told investigators that his niece had continuously got in the way as she was interested in what he was doing and he had to keep pushing her away leading up to the shooting. When asked if he had possibly fired the gun accidentally, Clark allegedly responded, “I didn’t even make it to the gun.”
When police asked Clark why the guns were loaded as he was showing them with children around, Clark allegedly said, “the other two were still loaded because in my eyes there is no point in having [an] unloaded pistol.”
Investigators said that Clark has cooperated with police.
Neighbors told 13News Wednesday they've been worried about issues inside the house where the shooting occurred. They said they've noticed activity with the family members that made them concerned for the three siblings who live in the home.
"Very tough. Very hard to hear. We have two children of our own and they play with these kids and it's really hard to hear," said neighbor Amanda Tye.
"I think there's a lot going on in this house and now it's all gonna come to light,” Mallory Tye added. “And I hope the kids, all three of them, get what they deserve and they're protected. Hopefully she's OK. Hopefully she's OK.”