Florida Man In Custody After Drunkenly Shooting A Child Playing With Nerf Guns

A Florida man is in police custody after drunkenly shooting and injuring a child playing with a nerf gun. The shooting occurred in Sanford, Florida, on Sunday night when the child was playing around with nerf guns with a friend.

Anthony Knuth, 30, who is related to the child’s friend, was reportedly intoxicated at the time when he offered to show the kids his “real” gun. The gun then reportedly went off, striking the child in his leg, forcing him to be rushed to a nearby emergency room.

He was reportedly shot with a .22 caliber gun in his left kneecap, causing an open fracture on the leg. Part of the bullet fragmented further into the child’s leg and would require surgery to remove.

Sanford Police arrived at the emergency room the family had been taken to around midnight and began questioning everyone about the incident. The child’s mother told police she had left the room they were in for several minutes and rushed back in after hearing a loud pop noise. When she returned and asked what happened, one of the children reportedly told her “Anthony shot him.”

Another woman present in the home told officers Knuth reportedly said he had shot a child and would go to jail.

Knuth was arrested by police on the scene and questioned about what happened. He told police he had taken several shots of Southern Comfort whiskey before reportedly going to bed. He also said he didn’t remember shooting the child and if he had, it was an accident.

Knuth remains in police custody and is facing charges of using a firearm while under the influence and neglect of a child with great bodily harm.