A 3-year-old boy remains in critical condition after being shot by a loaded handgun left within his reach, and his parents, now in custody, face charges of child neglect resulting in serious bodily injury, according to a press release from the West Virginia State Police.

On Monday, February 17, 2025, officers from the Weston and Buckhannon Detachments of the West Virginia State Police began an investigation into a shooting that occurred on Buckhannon Run Road in Lewis County, according to the release.

Police found that a three-year-old male juvenile had sustained a single gunshot wound. During the investigation, they learned that the biological parents of the juvenile had left a loaded handgun in reach of the juvenile, which resulted in the child sustaining a single gunshot wound, the release states.

On Tuesday, March 4, 2025, the victim’s biological parents — Caleb Heckert, a 29-year-old male from Buckhannon, and Corinda Heater, a 30-year-old female from Orlando, WV — were arrested and charged with one count each of child neglect resulting in serious bodily injury. Both are being held at the Central Regional Jail.

The juvenile victim was still listed in critical condition as of Tuesday. The investigation remains active and ongoing.

Assisting agencies include the Morgantown Detachment of the West Virginia State Police, West Virginia State Police BCI, West Virginia State Police Crime Scene Team, Lewis County Sheriff’s Department and Upshur County Sheriff’s Department.