WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah, May 29, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — A 2-year-old boy who was in extremely critical condition after police said he shot himself inside a West Valley City residence late Saturday night has died.
West Valley City Police Department said in a tweet the boy passed away in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The incident occurred at about 11:30 p.m. in a home near 2700 South and Fair Isle Lane (5700 West).
West Valley City Police Lt. Amy Maurer told Gephardt Daily on scene that the toddler was in the home with an adult and another child at the time of the shooting, and detectives were interviewing family members to determine how the child was shot.
Eleven hours later the WVCPD posted a statement online saying the child’s father, Tasman Maile, 27, had been arrested and booked on a manslaughter charge for leaving a gun accessible to a child. He was also charged with being in possession of a weapon by a restricted person, drug possession and obstruction.
The child was taken by ground ambulance to Jordan Valley Medical Center before being flown by medical helicopter to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City. Officials said at the time his injuries were so severe he was not expected to survive.
Officials have not released details of the sequence of events that led up to the shooting.
Gephardt Daily will have more on this developing story as additional information is released.
