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Florida Mother Charged After 4-Year-Old Son Fatally Shoots Himself With Gun From Her Purse
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Moneycontrol•28-09-2026, 10:11
Florida Mother Charged After 4-Year-Old Son Fatally Shoots Himself With Gun From Her Purse
- •Diamond Phillips, 29, faces a culpable negligence charge after her 4-year-old son accidentally shot himself with her loaded handgun.
- •The tragic incident occurred on June 21 in Sarasota, Florida, when the child accessed the gun from his mother's purse on a kitchen island.
- •Phillips reportedly kept the loaded Smith & Wesson .380-caliber handgun in an unholstered, zippered compartment of her purse for protection.
- •She told investigators she believed placing her purse on the kitchen island, microwave, or refrigerator kept it out of reach of her children.
- •Investigators concluded the firearm remained accessible to the children, leading to Phillips' arrest and subsequent release on a $10,000 bond.
Key Questions Answered
Diamond Phillips was charged with culpable negligence involving a firearm accessible to a minor after her 4-year-old son accidentally shot and killed himself.
Investigators stated that the boy climbed onto a kitchen stool, reached into his mother's purse left on the kitchen island, and pulled out a Smith & Wesson .380-caliber handgun.
Following her release on a $10,000 bond on September 23, Phillips is scheduled to appear in court on November 6.
