Man faces charges after police said a 4-year-old boy accidentally shot himself

A Greensboro man is facing charges after a 4-year-old boy accidentally shot himself with an unsecured gun inside a Durham home.

Officers said they were called to reports of a shooting around 10:40 a.m. on Sunday on Linwood Avenue. When they arrived, they found the child with a gunshot wound. 

Patrick Daye, 52, has been charged with permitting a young child to use a dangerous firearm.

According to arrest warrants, Daye is accused of leaving a 9mm pistol "in a condition that the firearm can be discharged" and easily accessible for the child without the parents' permission causing injury.

Police said the boy is in critical condition but is stable. No other injuries were reported. 

Daye was released after posting on $1,000 bond. He appeared in court Monday morning. 

Neighbors told WRAL News they were sad when they found out the child had been shot, one calling it an example of the “senseless violence that happens too often in this area.”

“This is sickening,” said Robert Adams, who lives near the scene. “It has to stop, ‘cause our kids are dying at no fault of their own. Everybody just stands and looks, and they go on with their day after this happens, like it’s OK. But it’s not OK. We got to do something.”

Others told WRAL News they are just heartbroken. 

“I don’t remember seeing no child,” Bass said. “Maybe it’s a grandchild or somebody. But if that happened, it just breaks my heart. Something like that, for a child, it breaks my heart.”

She said despite witnessing shootings and break-ins in the neighborhood, she’s never seen such a large police presence for one incident.

“I was just shocked,” she continued. “We came home [and] couldn’t get down our street. Like what in the world is going on?”

Officers said the investigation is still ongoing.

WRAL News has previously reported on gun violence being the leading cause of death for children in the country in the documentary UnSafe: North Carolina kids dying from gun violence. In fact, children in North Carolina are 51% more likely to die from gun violence compared to children in the U.S. as a whole. 

In August, a Durham woman was charged with involuntary manslaughter after her 4-year-old son accidentally shot himself with her unsecured gun. 

Gun safety resources

Learn about how to store your firearms safely at home and on the go, how to talk to your children about gun safety and how to make sure that schools and playdates are a safe environment from NC S.A.F.E.

Download a free gun safety kit or request a free gun lock from Project Child Safe.

Durham County also offers the Be SMART program to help promote responsible gun ownership to help reduce the number of deaths, injuries and trauma caused when a child or teen is able to access a gun.