Warrenville Killing: Man Gives Gun To 3-Year-Old Who Shoots Someone, Authorities Say

WARRENVILLE, SC — A man was charged with murder after authorities said he gave a 3-year-old boy a gun in Warrenville and the child used it to shoot a second man to death. Witnesses told deputies that Timothy Johnson, 24, was shot in the chest Tuesday afternoon when the gun went off as the child was carrying it outside the home, Aiken County Sheriff's Sgt. Stephen Shunn said.

Albert Davis, 31, was also charged with possession of a stolen handgun and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, Shunn said in a statement.

Deputies are still investigating why Davis gave the child the gun and whether Davis was angry at Johnson, Shunn told The Associated Press. Neither court nor jail records indicated whether Davis has an attorney. (For more information on Davis's case and other Across South Carolina stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Photo credit: Aiken County Detention Center via AP