Prepare to be appalled: This shocking video footage shows a toddler, clad only in a diaper and waving around an armed handgun. Despite the danger of such playtime antics, the child points it at his own face before pulling the trigger – which did not fire since there was no bullet present in its chamber. Promptly after neighbors reported this scene to law enforcement officials, police arrived at their apartment building residence and arrested the toddler’s father for allowing him access to this weapon as well as filming him playing with it.

The police quickly scoured the residence shared by the boy and his dad, where they ultimately uncovered a 9 mm Smith and Wesson pistol tucked away in the back of a desk drawer – exactly where his father assumed it would be safe from detection.

In a shocking act, the boy was recorded in an apartment building hallway waving around a loaded gun and pointing it at himself. Horrifyingly, he pulled the trigger; if there had been a bullet prepared in the chamber, his life would have come to an abrupt end. Fortunately for him, however, no ammunition was present so nothing happened – except for his father’s subsequent arrest.

The scene of the crime was none other than Beech Grove, Indiana’s apartment hallway – a short distance away from Indianapolis’ metropolitan hub.

On Patrol: Live released footage of not only the boy wildly brandishing a loaded gun, but also of his father speaking to police. In this clip, he declared that no firearm was present in their apartment and alleged that it must have been carried into the room by his cousin instead. Despite this statement, it is clear from the video evidence that there were guns readily available for use within their home.

As the officers searched the living quarters for evidence of a weapon, they inquired the toddler: “Where’d you put down that toy?”

The father shared that he and his wife had both recently fallen ill, leaving them with the daunting task of caring for their toddler son. Unfortunately, it seems as though during this vulnerable period, the boy gained access to a firearm in their home and began aimlessly waving it about around the hallway – an image that was captured on their doorbell camera. In spite of being sick himself, the father still felt compelled to protect his family from potential danger.

After police discovered the weapon tucked away in the father’s apartment, they promptly arrested him. Ultimately, his son was returned to his mother who he resides on a full-time basis.

On Patrol: As Sean Larkin, the live commentator expressed, viewing a video of a boy waving a gun is much more impactful than reading about it in an article. That’s why you should absolutely watch the footage below to gain full insight into this event.

“We hear these types of stories where kids come across these firearms, these horrific results that do happen sometimes, but seeing it on video is definitely very different,” he stated.

If it hadn’t been for the vigilant neighbors, the young boy would have risked shooting his eye out with that loaded gun.