4-year-old Rhode Island boy shot in head on Halloween; arrested dad says it was accident

A Rhode Island father is facing multiple felony charges after police said he reported accidently shooting his 4-year-old son in the head on Halloween.

Michael Jones, 33, was arrested on charges of assault and battery, being a felon in possession of a firearm and firing in a compact area in connection to the shooting inside a home in the Providence suburb of Cranston, the city's police Chief Michael Winquist announced Tuesday.

Officers responded to the apartment after the child's grandfather called 911 and reported that Jones shot his grandson, according to a preliminary investigation from the Cranston Police Department.

Arriving officers found Jones holding the child in his arms, with the boy suffering from a single gunshot wound to the head, according to a news release.

Child listed in critical condition after surgery

Medical responders took the child to a hospital where he underwent emergency surgery. He was last listed in critical condition, according to the news release. His condition Wednesday wasn't immediately known.

"This case is particularly difficult for all involved, given the age of the victim and highlights the need to keep firearms out of the hands of prohibited individuals," Winquist said. "Our thoughts are with the young boy and his family as he fights for survival."

Jones was arrested at the scene, police reported.

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A single round through a bedroom wall

According to the investigation by detectives, Jones was inside the second-floor bedroom of his apartment handling a 9 mm handgun.

Jones told police that he accidentally fired a single round that went through a wall in the bedroom and hit his son in the head in an adjacent room, according to the release.

Jones, a convicted felon, is prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm, police said. It was not immediately known what crime he was convicted of, and how he acquired the weapon remained under investigation Wednesday.

Jones also faces charges for violating a suspended sentence, according to police, after receiving a two-year prison sentence in June 2022 and being placed on probation.

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Father remained jailed on Wednesday

Jones remained jailed Wednesday on $20,000 bond, online records showed.

It was not immediately clear if he has obtained an attorney.

Court records show he was slated to be arraigned on Wednesday.

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.