HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A man was arrested after authorities say his 5-year-old stepdaughter found a gun and accidentally shot herself at a home in northwest Harris County overnight Sunday.
It happened in the 8400 block of Parasol Lane, near Fairbanks North Houston Road.
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Overnight, Pct 1 deputies responded to a residence at the 8400 blk of Parasol. Upon arrival, it was learned a 5-yr-old female child discovered a weapon in the home and may have unintentionally shot herself.
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) October 20, 2024
The child was transported by
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The girl was taken to a hospital and underwent surgery. She is currently in fair condition and is expected to survive her injuries. The 5-year-old shot herself in the abdomen.
The child’s stepfather, identified as 32-year-old Jason Nguyen, was arrested and charged with being a felon in possession of a weapon and possession of a controlled substance. He has been booked into the Harris County Jail.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said other children and adults were inside the home when the shooting occurred.
A search warrant reveals the girl found the gun underneath a couch before shooting herself.
According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, the gun was stolen in 2009.
At least one other person knew about the gun in the home, according to the warrant.
Nguyen told deputies a friend left it, and he wouldn’t tell them who it belonged to.
Additionally, there was a camera inside the home, according to the court record. The camera caught kids playing while parents were cooking. Then it captured the adults attempting to save the girl. There was a 10-minute gap in the video, approximately 11:33 p.m. - 11:43 p.m. The mother told investigators she thought it captured the shooting, but when law enforcement told her to look, that portion of the video was missing.
The owner of the device that captured the footage, Alanise Gee, who was also in the home, declined a request to have her phone searched. She also said she had never seen the gun before, and it must’ve been found in an inconspicuous hiding place, like underneath a couch.
Gee also said she didn’t know why the footage of the incident was missing and provided an explanation that maybe it stopped recording because no motion was detected, although authorities were skeptical of this explanation since the camera captured the immediate moments following the gun going off.