An Iowa mother is facing many charges after her 3-year-old toddler was discovered walking down the street with a loaded firearm, according to authorities.
Samantha Hall, 31, was charged with making weapons available to a youngster and child endangerment following the incident last Friday night, according to Iowa City Police.
According to a criminal complaint filed in Johnson County Court and acquired by Inside Edition Digital, a passerby reported to police that just before 8 p.m. that day, they saw a youngster wandering down the street alone.
According to the complaint, the passerby noticed that the child was also holding a rifle with a full magazine. According to the complaint, the onlooker then informed police that they had taken the firearm away from the kid. According to the lawsuit, Hall then arrived at the site to pick up her child and return to their home.
Police came shortly after, and Hall admitted to having the weapon in question, according to the complaint.
According to the complaint, the mother informed authorities that she had been cleaning her home and that the toddler had most likely taken the gun from her bedside table and wandered off when she wasn’t looking.
After her initial court appearance on Monday, Hall secured a $3,000 bond and was freed from jail. She is currently awaiting trial, according to insideedition. Those documents also reveal that a non-contact order is in effect, but they do not identify the party who Hall is prohibited from seeing. She and her lawyer are currently attempting to change this order.
The lawyer, Peter Stiefel, did not respond to a request for comment. Hall has yet to submit his plea in court.
Over the weekend, Johnson County officials reminded gun owners that gun locks are available for free at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.