A young boy in Florida went searching for Pokémon pens in his father’s bedroom. What he found instead — a loaded 9mm handgun on the floor — would land a 5-year-old in the hospital with a bullet wound to the chest.
Robert Giles, 36, of Palmetto, Florida, has been charged with culpable negligence after his son accidentally shot a 5-year-old on March 25. The victim was not a family member.
“The projectile traveled through his body, striking his clavicle and piercing his lung before exiting.” — Manatee County arrest warrant
According to deputies, Giles’ 9-year-old son entered the primary bedroom looking for Pokémon-themed pens. While searching, he found a Canik 9mm firearm on the floor under the bed — loaded with a round in the chamber.
The gun accidentally discharged, sending a bullet through the younger boy’s chest, through a bedroom wall, and out of the house.
The 5-year-old was intubated for five days and remained hospitalized while recovering. Giles told deputies he was in the kitchen when he heard a loud “pop.”
Investigators found a large gun safe in the same room — just ten feet away — but the firearm had not been stored inside it. Giles was arrested in early April, posted a $2,500 bond, and has pleaded not guilty.
Key facts
- Location: Palmetto, Florida (near Sarasota)
- Charge: Culpable negligence — firearm accessible to minor
- Victim: 5-year-old, shot in upper chest
- Gun: Canik 9mm, round in chamber, no magazine
- Bond: $2,500 — Giles pleaded not guilty
