3-year-old finds gun in bedroom, fatally shoots himself, OH cops say. Mom charged

A 3-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed himself with an unsecured gun he found in his mother’s bedroom, according to Ohio police and news reports.

The Columbus Police Department said it was the child’s mom, 29-year-old Carley Dials, who called 911 after the Sept. 22 shooting, according to WBNS.

The boy, identified by officers as Cartier Smith, was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour after the unintentional shooting, police said.

An investigation revealed the gun belonged to Sean Perrin, who was staying with Dials, according to charging documents obtained by WSYX.

Dials found Perrin’s gun on the bedroom floor in the middle of the night, then she “placed it between a mattress and the wall” before going to sleep, WSYX reported.

Shortly before 9 a.m., Cartier found the unsecured gun and shot himself, according to a police report.

Police said Dials was charged with involuntary manslaughter. She remains in the Franklin County Jail as of Sept. 22, awaiting an Oct. 2 court date.

Perrin, too, faces charges. Police said Perrin, who had a warrant issued for his arrest and was not legally allowed to carry a gun, was charged with “having a weapon under a disability,” WCMH reported.

This story was originally published September 23, 2025 at 9:11 AM with the headline "3-year-old finds gun in bedroom, fatally shoots himself, OH cops say. Mom charged."