HOUSTON – The mother of a 4-year-old boy who shot his 2-year-old brother in the head with a handgun has been charged with a weapons count, police said Thursday.
Tameka Michelle Jones, 29, is scheduled to appear before a judge Friday to answer a misdemeanor charge of making a gun available to a minor.
The 2-year-old was shot after an argument with his brother over a toy on March 12, and he remains in critical condition. He has shown signs of improvement this week, said Child Protective Services spokeswoman Gwen Carter. The 4-year-old is being cared for by his grandparents and receiving counseling.
The 4-year-old apparently got his mother's gun — a .25 caliber pistol — from her purse after the younger brother threw a toy at him and bit him.
Carter said the mother got the gun because of some burglaries in the neighborhood. She told investigators it was always out of the reach of children except the day of the shooting.
The court where Jones is to appear said it has not been informed whether an attorney is representing her. A phone listing for Jones could not be found.
The 4-year-old will not face charges.
Prosecutor David Harbach said the case is very unusual given the ages of the children involved.
"The crime with which she has been charged is a crime of negligence," Harbach said of the mother.
Jones was charged March 22, Houston police spokesman John Cannon said.
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