The father of a 4-year-old who accidentally shot herself said he didn't think the girl's wound was severe enough for medical treatment. And he also convinced the girl's mother not to seek help, according to Gwinnett County police reports.
But a family friend called police, who arrested both parents and a grandmother who allegedly also hid the incident from police.
The child, her two siblings and her parents were renting a room in a Days Inn hotel near Stone Mountain when the girl appears to have found a handgun and shot herself June 4, police reports obtained by the AJC state. The bullet apparently grazed the girl's abdomen, according to police.
The child's mother, 21-year-old Tyshonna Mercedez Blades, said she called her boyfriend, 20-year-old Thomas Charles Sumlin, and told him what happened, police said.
"She said Mr. Sumlin convinced her not to contact police due to her going to jail and her other children being taken away from her," the police report states.
Two days later, the family friend alerted police to the shooting, stating that she believed the child needed medical care, according to police.
Sumlin told police the child found a gun in the hotel room, and that he didn't know who it belonged to, according to the police report.
"We also found in his home, a holster matching that gun, a magazine matching that gun as well as ammunition, and possibly the actual bullet that hit the little girl," Cpl. Jake Smith with Gwinnett police told Channel 2 Action News.
When investigators searched the hotel room, they found a bullet hole in the wall, but no bullet, police said. Both Sumlin and Blades were arrested and charged with second-degree child cruelty, jail records show.
"Cruelty to the second deals with negligence," Smith said. "And that's what this falls under... letting [the child] go without medical treatment for two days."
Blades was arrested Monday night and released the following night, her 21st birthday, after posting $7,900 bond, jail records show. Sumlin was arrested Tuesday night and released early Wednesday, also on $7,900 bond.
The 4-year-old and her two siblings were placed in state custody, according to police.
In an interview with Channel 2, Sumlin said he had nothing to hide, and that he didn't believe his daughter's injury was serious enough to warrant medical treatment.
"This happened by accident, and I didn't want any problems to come, but it turned into something way different," Sumlin said.
Sumlin's mother, Deanna Edwards, also was arrested for allegedly trying to prevent investigators from talking to her son, according to police.
About the Author
