PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. — A 36-year-old man was arrested and charged Monday afternoon in connection to the shooting death of a 2-year-old boy in Puyallup last year.
The shooting took place on December 20, 2021, at a home on the 11000 block of 58th Street Court East. According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, Brian Widland left a loaded, unsecured gun in his 8-year-old daughter’s bedroom.
Widland is a convicted felon and not allowed to have firearms, according to the sheriff's department.
Court documents show the 8-year-old was playing “wolves” with her cousin when they picked up the .22 caliber rifle and shot the 2-year-old in the head. The boy was taken to Mary Bridge Children's Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner identified the 2-year-old as Hudson Carlisle of Puyallup.
Court documents show Carlisle’s 5-year-old brother, who was in the home at the time of the shooting, told detectives he was playing with the other kids when they found the gun leaning against the corner of the bedroom. The boy told investigators the shooting was an accident and the 8-year-old did not know the gun was loaded.
The 8-year-old told investigators she had seen “lots of guns in the house” and thought the gun she had picked up was a BB gun which just “stings you,” not knowing the gun was real.
Investigators spoke with Carlisle’s mother who said she had taken her two young sons to Widland’s house to visit and left the home to go pick up snacks. The victim’s mother told investigators she realized she forgot her phone after leaving and returned, only to find out that her son had been shot and was taken to the hospital, according to court documents.
After the shooting, court documents say Widland fled the scene with his daughters after removing the firearms from the home.
A felony arrest warrant was issued for Widland in June in connection to the shooting. Deputies with the department’s Special Investigations Unit arrested Widland Monday afternoon, according to the sheriff's department.
During the arraignment, Widland was charged with first- and second-degree manslaughter, two counts of illegal possession of a firearm, reckless endangerment, and community endangerment. Widland’s bail was set at $1 million.
Widland has multiple prior felonies, including being convicted in 2016 for second-degree assault with a deadly weapon enhancement, which court documents say is “designated as a serious offense."
His trial is set to begin September 1.