More details have emerged in the case of a Minneapolis two-year-old found with a gunshot wound to the face.
A complaint filed on Wednesday reveals that Kendall Hampton, 36, has been arrested and charged with one felony count of child endangerment and one felony count of illegal firearm possession.
He is currently in custody with bail set at $100,000.
According to the complaint, Hampton was helping watch the two-year-old victim at a Minneapolis apartment while the victim’s mother was at work. He initially told officers he was not inside the apartment when the victim apparently self-inflicted the gunshot wound, and he also left the building when officers asked him to “stand by so that he could provide a statement.”
After Hampton was arrested and read his rights, he admitted he was indeed present in the bedroom where the victim sustained the gunshot wound and said he had been drinking that night. He told officers he left a firearm on a windowsill next to his bed that the victim somehow got a hold of. The complaint also alleges Hampton ignored the advice of his companion (Witness 1) to put the gun out of reach.
After Witness 1 called 911, Hampton left the apartment with the gun because he knew he wasn’t supposed to possess it due to a previous burglary conviction. He subsequently “discarded the firearm near the front door to another apartment,” according to the complaint.
The two-year-old victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition but eventually improved to stable condition.
The charges against Hampton carry a combined maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or a $40,000 fine. Child endangerment carries a maximum penalty of 5 years and/or a $10,000 fine, while illegal firearm possession following a previous violent crime conviction carries a maximum penalty of 15 years and/or a $30,000 fine.
Evan Stambaugh
Evan Stambaugh is a freelance writer who had previously been a sports blogger. He has a BA in theology and an MA in philosophy.
