Convicted Rhode Island Felon Prohibited From Owning Firearm Accused of Accidentally Shooting 4-Year-Old Son in Head

A 4-year-old boy was shot in the head inside his Rhode Island home, and police said his father was arrested for allegedly handling a loaded weapon he was legally barred from possessing.

Around 10:15 a.m. on Oct. 31, a 911 call came in about the shot child, according to the Cranston Police Department.

Officers at the scene found 33-year-old Michael A. Jones holding his son, who was suffering an apparent gunshot wound to the head, authorities said.

The victim was rushed to Hasbro Children’s Hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

Investigators determined Jones was in a second-floor bedroom of the house handling a loaded firearm when, he told police, the gun accidentally discharged, causing a single bullet to travel through a wall and strike his son in another room.

Police said they located the weapon during a search of the home.

The victim’s grandfather lives on the first floor of the house and was identified in reports as the person who called 911.

Never miss a story — sign up for the Front Page Detectives newsletter. Be on the scene the moment news breaks.

Jones was arrested and charged with assault, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and firing a weapon in a compact area. An additional charge of violating a suspended sentence is expected from the state attorney general’s office, officials said.

The shooting suspect previously was convicted of felony assault and sentenced to a two-year suspended sentence and probation in June 2022, police said.

As a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm.