ATLANTA, GEORGIA: Georgia mother Chepial Williams is warning all parents about the predicament of keeping a handgun at home after her toddler son Ayden King fatally shot himself.
Williams regrets her decision to buy a handgun as a safety measure following a violent altercation with her neighbor.
On April 26, the tragic incident occurred when the bereaved mother's two-year-old son, Ayden King, found a .380 handgun in her purse and accidentally shot himself in the face, as reported by Daily Mail.
William urged other parents to 'be careful’
In an interview with CNN, Williams expressed her grief over the toddler's death, stating, "Felt like my whole heart had been ripped out of me.”
Regretting the decision, Williams urged other parents to be extra careful with firearms, and said, “Just be careful,” before adding, “Even if you have guns in the home, make sure they're put up in a safe place. Anything could happen within a blink of an eye.”
Williams is also the mother of two other children Destiny, 7, and Za'Niyah, 10.
Gun misfires leading to fatalities have emerged as a major national concern, with nearly 1,300 children losing their lives in similar incidents.
Chepial Williams bought gun to keep her children safe
The mother, who resided in her LaGrange Apartment with her three children, became embroiled in a dispute with her downstairs neighbors in early 2022.
During that period, the downstairs neighbor, a woman, filed a complaint with the police against Williams and her three children, alleging that the family “incessantly make noises in the upstairs apartment that disturbs her and her family.”
The dispute intensified when Williams was assaulted one day with a heavy metal pot wrapped in plastic bags.
Williams was subjected to a violent attack; deputies discovered her with a split lip and a bloodied sweatshirt.
The neighbor was arrested for the violent act. However, when taken into custody and charged with battery, the woman issued a veiled threat, stating,
Out of concern for her family's safety, Williams subsequently purchased a .380 gun and underwent firearm training. She kept the gun either in her purse or concealed beneath the mattress.
On the tragic day, the gun was inside her purse, which was placed on the nightstand.
On April 26, she was startled when she heard a "loud pop" during dinner and quickly rushed to her bedroom.
She discovered Ayden lying on the floor with the gun resting beside him.
Williams hurried to a neighbor who administered CPR, and the police were called.
The police report stated, "Upon arrival," followed by, "I observed a black female holding the 2-year-old child and running toward me as I was exiting my patrol vehicle."
“The female handed me the 2-year-old child while she was crying and that's when I held the child and laid him down on the ground and immediately began CPR,” continued the report.
The report also stated, “The child was bleeding from his mouth and I did observe a gunshot wound to the center of his face near his nose. I continued CPR but did not feel any pulse.”
