Trenise Turner, an Ohio mother, is in jail, and her five-year-old son is currently hospitalized after she shot him in his legs. The woman was intoxicated when she brandished a gun at several adults in her home and fired the weapon as she put it back in her purse, the Columbus Police Department reported on their Facebook page. The incident happened on July 16.
Turner’s son, whose name is being withheld, is 5-years-old. He was lying on the couch next to his intoxicated mother when he was shot. Although one shot was fired, the bullet went through both of his legs.
The child was transported to Nationwide Children’s Hospital with injuries serious enough to need corrective surgery, yet he was expected to survive. According to WTRF, his surgery was scheduled for Saturday morning, the day after Turner shot him.
There is no information on Turner’s history of alcohol use. However, according to a National Institutes of Health study on alcohol consumption during the pandemic, two-thirds of participants attested to increased alcohol use.
The consequences for a child being cared for by a parent who abuses alcohol run the gamut from mental and physical harm to educational setbacks. Unfortunately, the United States lacks the desire to fund mental health and substance abuse treatment robustly.
Another aggravating factor is that Ohio’s gun laws are extremely laid back. There is no requirement for a background check or permit, and citizens are allowed to openly carry their guns anywhere except a vehicle. It is unknown whether or not Turner had a permit.
Trenise Turner, 30, has been charged with a felony count of endangering children. According to the Franklin County Sheriff’s inmate information tool, she has also been charged with domestic violence by assault. She is slated to make an appearance in court on July 20 and July 26, respectively. She is currently in the Franklin County Jail.
