Deputies said the 6-year-old boy was stable after being airlifted from one hospital to another.
MIAMI, FL — A 33-year-old mother was arrested after deputies said her 6-year-old son shot himself with her unattended gun Tuesday afternoon at their West Perrine home in southwest Miami-Dade County.
Myeisha Sharie Smith faces one count of child neglect causing great bodily harm after the boy was wounded in the shoulder, authorities said. The case moved into court Wednesday, when a judge set bond and ordered Smith not to possess firearms or drugs while the case is pending.
The shooting happened shortly before 4 p.m. Tuesday in the 10100 block of West Circle Plaza, near Southwest 172nd Street and 102nd Avenue. Investigators said Smith was inside the home when she heard a loud pop and went to a room, where she found her son wounded. Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office officials said she called 911 while driving the boy to Jackson South Medical Center. He was later airlifted by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital. Aerial footage from local news helicopters showed the child being moved by medical crews. Deputies said he was stable after the shooting.
An arrest report said Smith told detectives she left her handgun unattended in her bedroom and left her son alone with it. Deputies said the child grabbed the gun and shot himself in the shoulder, just above the clavicle. Investigators recovered the handgun and determined it belonged to Smith. The report said Smith “knowingly and willfully” failed to provide care and supervision needed for the child’s well-being. No other injuries were reported. Authorities did not release the child’s name, and it was not immediately clear when he would leave the hospital.
The shooting brought deputies, fire rescue units and detectives to the West Perrine neighborhood Tuesday afternoon. Police tape blocked part of the area while investigators gathered evidence and spoke with people nearby. Neighbors said they saw a large law enforcement response and learned a child had been hurt. “We were trying to figure out what was going on,” resident Alexis Brown said. “Sad and devastated.” Another neighbor, Alexandria Smith, said she saw “a bunch of police” in front of her house as the investigation continued into the evening.
Smith was booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center early Wednesday, jail and court records show. She appeared before Miami-Dade Judge Mindy Glazer, who appointed a public defender and gave her pretrial services with an alternate bond of $2,500. Local 10 reported that Smith bonded out of jail early Thursday. Court records show Miami-Dade County Circuit Judge Ariel Rodriguez is set to preside over the case. If convicted on the felony child neglect charge, Smith could face up to 15 years in prison.
The child’s father, Jamila Brown, spoke during Smith’s bond court hearing and told the judge the boy remained hospitalized but was doing well. “He’s great,” Brown said. “They say he’s doing everything, he’s jumping around, playing, talking, eating ice cream, he’s perfect.” Brown said he and Smith are no longer together and live separately, but he said the shooting was a mistake and asked that Smith still be allowed to see the boy. “That little boy love his mom,” Brown said. “All he doing in the hospital right now is keep asking for his mom.”
Glazer allowed Smith to have contact with her son but barred her from using or possessing firearms or drugs. Deputies said the investigation centered on how the child accessed the weapon and whether it had been properly stored. Florida law requires gun owners to secure firearms and keep them out of reach of children. A violation of that storage requirement can be charged as a second-degree misdemeanor, though Smith’s current charge is a felony tied to the child’s injury.
Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Det. Joseph Peguero said the child’s survival kept the case from becoming worse. “Obviously, we had an incident that occurred, and this family is very fortunate that it wasn’t a worse scenario,” Peguero said. Authorities have not said whether additional charges could be filed. The next steps include court filings, case assignment before Rodriguez and any future hearing dates set by the court.
As of Thursday, Smith had posted bond, the child was reported stable and the criminal case remained open in Miami-Dade County court. Deputies have not announced a hospital release date for the boy.
Author note: Last updated Thursday, May 14, 2026.