Albuquerque woman faces charges under Bennie’s Law
Leigh Cleveland has been charged after her 14-year-old son accidentally shot his friend, who is also 14, back in August.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —
A woman faces charges under Bennie’s Law, in connection with an accidental shooting involving her son back in August.
A spokesperson for Albuquerque Police says the shooting occurred August 22 at a home in the 2800 block of Manzano Street Northeast.
According to police, several boys were playing with a gun inside a bathroom. One of the boys pointed the gun and pulled the trigger while ammunition wasn’t in the gun.
Police say the boy, who is 14, inserted a magazine and manipulated the slide. The firearm discharged, wounding another 14-year-old boy in the shoulder.
The shooter was taken into custody and is now at the Juvenile Detention Center. The victim suffered a non-life-threatening injury.
During the investigation, police discovered that the shooter’s mother, Leigh Cleveland, owned the gun and kept it in an office at her residence. Cleveland told police the children knew where the firearms were inside the home, and expected them to know they weren’t supposed to touch the guns.
Cleveland has been charged with negligently making a firearm accessible to a minor. She turned herself in to police on Friday.
