A Columbia County father has been charged with child cruelty after his 3-year-old son accidentally shot himself in the shoulder with an unsecured firearm, authorities say.
Spencer Allen Johnson, 34, of Harlem, Georgia, is accused of criminal negligence after failing to supervise his son, Evan Johnson, who was able to access an unsecured gun in his father’s bedroom on Thursday night. The warrant says that the child shot himself in the shoulder. He is expected to make a full recovery.
Johnson, a decorated firefighter in Augusta, was arrested Friday on the child cruelty charge. However, the Harlem Police Department did not initially announce the incident, and rumors surrounding the shooting spread on social media until confirmed late Friday by WGAC’s Austin Rhodes and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
Johnson now faces charges of child cruelty for causing his son “excessive physical pain” through neglectful supervision. He remained in the Columbia County Detention Center on Friday night under a $10,100 bond.
Early Saturday, Harlem Police Chief posted a news release on the agency’s Facebook page, revealing that there may be more to the story.
“At this time, the incident is still under investigation as more details have been disclosed,” he said.
In his jail mugshot, Johnson appears in an anti-suicide smock.
