Police: Rhode Island father arrested, charged after accidentally shooting 4-year-old son

A Cranston man was arrested Tuesday after police say he accidentally shot his 4-year-old son in the head. 

Cranston police said Michael Jones, 33, has been charged with felony assault, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and firing in a compact area. 

Officers responded to the 911 call reporting that a 4-year-old boy had been shot by his father at 25 Queen St. around 10:12 a.m., according to Cranston police. At the scene, officers allegedly found Jones holding his son with a gunshot wound to his head. The boy was taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital, where police said he remains in critical condition after undergoing emergency surgery. 

Police said the initial investigation indicates that Jones was inside the second floor bedroom of his apartment handling a loaded handgun when the 33-year-old says he accidentally discharged the firearm, sending a single round through the wall where it struck his son in the head in the adjacent room. 

The child’s grandfather, who lives on the first floor, called 911. 

Police recovered the handgun believed to have been used from the home. According to the department, Jones had a previous conviction for felony assault and had been sentenced to a two-year suspended sentence and probation, meaning he was prohibited from possessing a firearm. 

“How Jones acquired the gun remains under investigation,” police said. 

Jones will be arraigned at Cranston Police Headquarters. 

“This case is particularly difficult for all involved given the age of the victim and highlights the need to keep firearms out of the hands of prohibited individuals,” Colonel Michael Winquist, Cranston’s chief of police, said in a statement. “A tragedy like this hits home with our first responders, many of whom have children of their own. Our thoughts are with the young boy and his family as he fights for survival.”