Man faces judge after child is accidentally shot by older sibling during target practice, police say

TITUSVILLE, Fla. - A man is in custody after Titusville police say a child was accidentally shot by a sibling in a wooded area.

Police have identified the man as Dustin Adkins, 34. He is charged with aggravated child neglect with great bodily harm, violation of felony probation, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.

Detectives said they responded to the hospital on a call that a child was brought in to the emergency room with a gunshot wound on Saturday.

Officers also responded to a wooded area east of S.R. 407, north of I-95, where the child had reportedly been shot. After a search, investigators say they found several guns on a trail hidden under a tire in the wooded area. Detectives say Adkins was with four juveniles, who are his relatives, shooting guns. At some point, investigators say Adkins left the children unsupervised and a 9-year-old girl was accidentally shot by a sibling while shooting at a target. 

Detectives say the 9-year-old was critically injured and later transported by helicopter to Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando. Police said that Adkins tried to hide the guns and drove the wounded girl to the hospital himself.

Adkins is reportedly already on probation for manslaughter involving the shooting death of a child in 2011. Police said that he accidentally shot and killed a 13-year-old who he was babysitting.

“It is outrageous that this adult provided firearms and ammunition to these young children," said Deputy Chief Todd Hutchinson, “especially given his past arrest and conviction."

He added that "this is definitely an unusual case because you've got a juvenile that's been shot and instead of calling police or 911 they immediately went to the hospital."

Adkins was booked into the Brevard County Jail and faced a judge on Sunday morning.

“Mr. Adkins, I don't know if you have any questions or anything you want to say,” the judge said, “if you do, please talk to your attorney first before you tell me anything. Is there anything you'd like to say?”

With nothing to say, the judge continued, stating that "I did find probable causes in each of those charges," and that "based upon the nature of the offenses and history presented, and the companion violation of probation case, I'm going to order no bond on each and every one of those charges."