MOBILE COUNTY, Ala. (WPMI) — On July 27, 2025, deputies from the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office responded to an emergency involving a 13-year-old boy who sustained a gunshot wound to his left thigh. The injury occurred after the juvenile accidentally discharged a firearm while handling it inside a residence. The boy was immediately transported to a local hospital for treatment due to the severity of the wound.
During the investigation, authorities determined that the firearms involved belonged to 20-year-old Demetrie Ojay Harriott of Irvington, who was present at the home. Investigators found that one of the guns, a 9mm pistol, had been reported stolen to the Mobile Police Department the previous month. A second revolver was also recovered from the residence.
Harriott admitted to owning both firearms and said he had secured them in a bedroom after the shooting incident. Both weapons were collected by authorities as evidence.
Harriott was arrested and charged with receiving stolen property in the second degree. He is currently held at the Mobile County Metro Jail while investigators continue to look into whether additional charges apply.
This incident underscores the risks posed by stolen and unsecured firearms. Each year, an estimated 200,000 guns are stolen in the U.S., and statistics show that 83% of accidental firearm deaths among children aged 0–17 involve boys, often due to easy access to loaded and unsecured weapons.
