VELDA CITY — A Metro East jail guard is facing felony charges after a 5-year-old boy found a loaded gun in a toy box and shot himself in the hand in the guard's home.
Walter Gary, 37, of Velda City, was charged Wednesday with two counts of first-degree child endangerment. Charges say he admitted to police that he stored a loaded gun in a box filled with other toys in the dining room of his Velda City home in the 2800 block of Maurer Avenue.
A 5-year-old child found the gun and shot himself in the hand, charging documents allege. There were at least four other children younger than 17 in the home at the time, court documents say.Â
Gary is a corrections officer with the St. Clair County Sheriff's Department. Gary was placed on unpaid leave Thursday, a department spokesman said. He's been employed with the department for about a year.Â
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The case was investigated by Velda City police. Gary's bond was set Wednesday at $75,000, cash only, no 10%.