Parents arrested after 7-year-old boy was shot in the leg

MANCHESTER, N.H. — A 7-year-old boy is recovering after he was shot, Manchester, New Hampshire Police say.

The child's parents were arrested Friday evening for reckless conduct and endangering the welfare of a child. They are scheduled to be arraigned on Aug. 20.

The father, Miguel Roman, was also charged with falsifying evidence.

Police were called to an apartment on Walnut Street just after 8 p.m. Thursday after gunshots were heard, but moments later, an officer was tipped off about a 7-year-old boy who showed up to the hospital with a gunshot wound.

"There is a detail officer who works at the hospital and he was informed that the victim had come into the hospital and he notified us," said Manchester Police Sgt. Timothy Patterson.

The boy is recovering at the hospital after getting shot in the leg.

The father told Boston 25 News that the Department of Children, Youth and Families has now taken his children away.

Neighbors told Boston 25 News that they were shocked, calling the couple good parents.

"It's just sad that something like that happened, and especially to those kids, because they are really good kids," one neighbor said.

Others were relieved to hear that the children were taken into custody by the DCYF.

"I'm glad that the children are no longer with them," one neighbor said. "The kids deserve so much better. He was a sweet boy who rode his bike around the block and played with my dog."

Police have not released details on who fired the gun or how the child was shot, but they do say this should serve as a reminder for the importance of gun safety.

"Gun safety is paramount, and we encourage everyone, if they do possess firearms, to keep them in a safe location where inappropriate people can’t access them," Patterson said. "Or, when they are used, they are used in a safe manner.”

Cox Media Group