North Carolina 3-year-old shoots another 3-year-old after parents leave rifle in playroom

Two North Carolina parents are facing multiple charges after police said that one 3-year-old child accidentally shot another 3-year-old child near Asheboro this week.

According to WXII, deputies believe that 27-year-old William Monroe Simmons' daughter was in a playroom unattended when the other 3-year-old shot her with a .22-caliber rifle that was left in the room.

The girl was taken to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center where she had surgery and was recovering from the bullet that apparently hit her arm and then traveled into her abdomen.

Simmons and his girlfriend, 26-year-old Melisa Ann Mumpower, were both charged with three counts of misdemeanor child abuse, one count of felony child abuse and one count of failure to properly store a firearm to protect minor. Randolph County deputies said that the misdemeanor child abuse charges were related to living conditions in the home.

Mumpower was in the home cleaning at the time the shooting occurred.

Two other children, ages 1 to 3, were also in the home at the time of the shooting. WGHP reported that the other children had been placed in custody of Randolph County Social Services.

Simmons was released after posting a $35,500 secured bond. As of Wednesday morning, Mumpower was being held in lieu of a $6,300 secured bond in the Forsyth County Jail.

Watch this video from WGHB, broadcast Nov. 27, 2013.

[Stock photo of a toddler with a toy gun via Shutterstock.com]