A couple are facing charges of child abuse after a three-year-old shot an eight-month-old baby in a motel in New Mexico on December 8.

The incident occurred when the pair allegedly left the children unattended to take a shower together.

According to police, Shayanne Nelson, 18, and Tyrell Bitsilly, 21, were in Zia Motel in Gallup, New Mexico when Nelson’s toddler found the gun and fired it by accident, hitting the baby, New York Post reports.

Nelson claimed she’d never seen the firearm before, saying it might’ve accidentally been left behind by the previous occupant, USA Today reports.

However, a witness said they saw Bitsilly wiping off the gun after the incident.

The baby girl was rushed to Gallup Indian Medical Centre, with her condition and the extent of her injuries were unknown by then.
Source:News24