Drunk Florida Man Charged After Shooting Child Who Was Playing With Nerf Gun

Anthony Knuth, 30, was arrested Sunday after he allegedly shot a 7-year-old child while he was playing around with Nerf guns with a group of his friends, NBC Miami reports. Shortly after midnight that same day, police responded to an occurrence involving a boy who had sustained a gunshot wound to the leg. 

When the authorities spoke with the victim’s mother, she informed them that the incident occurred inside the Sanford residence owned by her friend, who was Knuth’s sister. The mother told investigators that she left her children to play with Nerf guns with another child in the same room as Knuth for about 10 minutes. All of a sudden, she ran back into the room after hearing a loud pop. 

She found out that her child’s left leg was bleeding from an apparent gunshot wound located below the left kneecap. When the mother questioned what had occurred, the children allegedly told her, “Anthony shot him.”

Knuth reportedly bragged about having a real gun with real bullets that could be loaded into the weapon. Doctors at a nearby hospital were able to determine from projectile remains still inside the child’s leg that the wound came from a .22 caliber firearm. 

According to Fox 35 Orlando, Knuth claimed he took several shots of Southern Comfort before going to bed that night. He said he was too intoxicated to remember shooting a child with his gun. He has been charged with neglect of a child with great bodily harm and using a firearm while under the influence. His bail was set at $15,263.