Florida Father Arrested After 8-Year-Old Boy Finds Gun, Shoots Two Toddlers While Playing, Police Say

The Florida father of an 8-year-old young boy who accidentally shot two toddler girls, one fatally, was placed under arrest in connection to the incident.

According to authorities, Roderick Randall, 45, had his gun inside a closet at Lion’s Motel, where he was staying in with his girlfriend and the boy as well as Kacey Bass, 1, and her 2-year-old twin sisters, WPLG reported.

At some point, Randall left his sleeping girlfriend with the children inside the room and the boy discovered the weapon.

“He pulls the gun from the holster, starts playing with it and fires a round into the 1-year-old toddler, ultimately killing [her],” Escambia County Sheriff Chip Simmons said. “The bullet then goes through and strikes one of the 2-year-old toddlers, who’s injured but is expected to recover.”

According to the sheriff, Randall returned, allegedly grabbed the gun as well as some drugs that were in the room, and left again, WEAR-TV reported.

Authorities said the 14-time convicted felon was not allowed to be in possession of a gun due to his lengthy criminal history.

He was charged with multiple offenses, including convicted felon in possession of a firearm, culpable negligence, destroying evidence, and failing to store or leave firearm in a required manner.

He was released on a $41,000 bond the day after the deadly incident.

Simmons insisted parents need to “step up and do a better job because the decisions that they make can cost.”

“In this case,” he added, “they can cost the lives of our most precious resource — that’s our children.”