How on earth does a 2-year-old get a hold of a loaded gun? Ask 18-year-old Andrew Sanchez of Fresno, California, whose firearm somehow ended up in the hands of a child, resulting in the death of a 22-year-old mother.
Sanchez was arrested inside the couple’s apartment after the toddler discharged the unsecured firearm, fatally wounding his mother, Jessinya Mina, with a single 9mm round to the upper body. Sanchez and Mina were reportedly relaxing in bed on the evening of Friday, December 6 when a “preventable” tragedy took place, according to the Fresno Police Department.
“This is very tragic, and a very much preventable and avoidable incident. He left that firearm in an area that was accessible to a 2½-year-old toddler at that location…The Fresno Police Department is deeply saddened by this type of tragedy that’s devastating and definitely serves as a stark reminder of the significance and importance of being able to properly store your weapon and do so in a manner that children don’t access it,” said Lt. Paul Cervantes in a news conference the following Monday.
According to police, Sanchez was attempting to get Mina to the hospital when police responded to the scene at the Butterfly Grove Apartment complex around 5:40 P.M. That’s when first responders stepped in, rendering aid to the young mother before transporting her to the hospital where she succumbed to her injuries.
According to the victim’s older sister, Jessica Rodriguez, Sanchez had ignored multiple requests from Mina to remove the firearm from the home. In California, an individual must be at least 21 years old to own a handgun legally, begging the question of how the 18-year-old came into possession of it in the first place. The 9mm was ultimately seized at the scene.
“She was beautiful and funny and could put a smile on anyone’s face, anyone who knew her was truly blessed by her presence. Now, because of her boyfriend’s carelessness, his arrogance, his (ir)responsibility, and neglecting my sister’s wishes of never having a gun in her house, she’s gone forever,” Rodriguez told KFSN.
Mina also had an 8-month-old daughter.
“My niece and nephew will have to live off of memories and stories of my sister rather than her presence. We will never be able to witness my sister carry out her lifelong goals and accomplishments due to his negligence. My sister didn’t deserve this,” Rodriguez added.
The suspect in the case, Sanchez, is reported to have no criminal history, highlighting how someone with an otherwise clean record can turn their lives, as well as others, completely upside down in one moment of carelessness when it comes to firearms ownership. Sanchez was taken into custody at the scene and charged with two felonies, criminal storage of a firearm, and child endangerment. He was booked into Fresno County Jail and is currently out on bail while the investigation remains open, according to police.
“As you can imagine, it’s difficult because we’re having to wrestle with the idea that it’s even conceivable that a 2 ½-year-old child would have sufficient strength to manipulate a firearm,” said Lt. Cervantes.
Being a firearm owner is never something to be taken lightly, no matter how natural it may seem to your lifestyle. The responsibility is ever present, and the price is an unwavering commitment to safety. This incident demonstrates how it only takes a second for everything to go wrong and how the effects of complacency can reverberate through the next generation. I can’t imagine how it may feel for the 2-year-old boy to find out one day how he lost his mother and how that will affect his outlook on the freedoms we cherish and protect with our own unending vigilance.
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