Gwinnett County Mother Charged After 4-Year-Old Shoots Himself With Gun in Car

DACULA, Georgia – Gwinnett County Police detectives have charged a 29-year-old Winder woman after her 4-year-old son accidentally shot himself in the hand.

On February 18, officers responded to the Burger King at 3470 Braselton Highway in Dacula, GA, after receiving a report that a child had been shot. When officers arrived, they met with Nicole Johnson, who told them she had been eating breakfast in a parking lot with her son inside the vehicle.

Johnson said she was on the phone at the time and did not realize her son had retrieved a handgun from the glovebox. The child was able to discharge the firearm, striking himself in the hand.

The boy was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Following an investigation, detectives charged Johnson with Reckless Conduct. She was booked into the Gwinnett County Jail and later released on bond.

“This incident serves as another serious reminder of the importance of properly securing firearms,” said Assistant Chief Chris Smith, Commander of the Criminal Investigations Division for the Gwinnett County Police Department. “Firearms should always be unloaded, locked, and stored out of reach of children. A moment of inattention can have life-altering consequences.”