As Governor Greg Abbott prepares to sign a law that would allow Texans to carry a firearm without a permit or special training, a five year old boy from the Houston area is recovering from a gunshot wound after his mother tried to shoot an unleashed puppy and instead hit her son.
The woman, 24 year-old Angelia Mia Vargas, has been charged with deadly conduct – discharge of firearm. Her son is in stable condition.
The incident – which occurred last Saturday – was captured on a Ring security camera. Vargas, her son, and another family member were riding bikes down the street, when Bruno, a 6-month old Boxer, slipped out of his house. The owner followed Bruno onto the front lawn, but within seconds Vargas opened fire.
Her three shots missed the dog. One bullet ricocheted off the pavement and into her son’s abdomen.
“She could have handled it differently. You know, she was there, her husband was there, I was there, nothing would have happened. Nothing bad like that,” Bruno’s owner told Houston’s ABC13.
According to a 2019 study published in Injury Epidemiology, there are 430 unintentional firearm fatalities in the United States per year. Children are the most common victims. The study concludes, “Firearm safety instructors, firearm manufacturers, and firearm owners can all contribute to preventing these deaths.”
However, the Texas legislature recently passed a law – that the governor has pledged to sign – that will allow most citizens to carry firearms without a permit, background check, or special training.
The legislation is opposed by law enforcement groups.
“Normally you make a law to fix something that’s broken,” said Ray Hunt, executive director of the Houston Police Officers’ Union. “The system that we have in place is working.”
