Baby Playing With Gun Video Leads to Indiana Mom, Boyfriend Being Arrested

A mother and her boyfriend in Evansville, Indiana, were arrested by the police for child neglect and other charges after a video showed a 12-month-old baby playing with a .40 caliber handgun.

Toni Wilson, 22, and her boyfriend, Michael Barnes, 19, are facing charges of child neglect, criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, and allowing a child to possess a firearm, according to the Evansville Police Department.

The video was discovered when Barnes was arrested last Jan. 8 when he tried to sell a handgun to a customer, who turned out to be an undercover officer.

Barnes, who the police said has an active warrant for armed robbery, arrived at the agreed location across the Delaware Elementary School and was approached by the police. He tried to run but was arrested by a Vanderburgh County K-0 Unit.

The gun he tried to sell was found and he was arrested for resisting law enforcement with a weapon, carrying a handgun without a permit, and carrying a handgun without a permit within 500 feet of a school.

When the police examined his cell phone the following day, they found two videos that showed a 12-month-old girl playing with a handgun that appeared to be the same one that Barnes tried to sell.

In the video, Barnes can be heard telling the baby to say "pow" several times. The video also showed the baby putting the gun's muzzle in her mouth. Barnes did not stop the child.

The police said Wison was present when the video was taken. She was with Barnes when he was arrested last Thursday but was released.

The police went to Wilson's home to talk to her where she claimed that the gun in the video was a pellet gun.

According to the police, the baby and two one-month-old twins were placed in emergency care. Barnes, the police added, is the father of the twins but not the 12-month-old baby.