According to police, the video was discovered during an investigation in which Michael Barnes, 19, attempted to sell a firearm to an undercover Evansville police officer. After Barnes was arrested, detectives discovered the video.
Evansville police and investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were checking his cellphone records for evidence when they found two videos of a baby playing with the handgun. According to reports, the handgun appeared to be the one recovered during the undercover operation.
The videos, which were released by police and obtained by Ocala Post, showed the 1-year-old girl playing with the gun and voices can be heard in the background telling the baby to say “pow” and “bang” on multiple occasions. At one point, Barnes said, “Shoot that thang’ fat baby.”
Te baby also placed the muzzle of the gun in her mouth.
Police said Barnes and the girl’s mother, Toni Wilson, 22, were both present when the videos were made.
According to the arrest affidavit, when officers confronted Wilson about the video Friday afternoon, she attempted to fool officers into believing it was a pellet gun.
The baby’s mother was later arrested and charged with Child Neglect, Criminal Recklessness with a Deadly Weapon, and Allowing a Child to Possess a Firearm.
Barnes was arrested on the same charges, in addition to the charges stemming from his initial arrest that included Resisting Arrest with a Weapon and Carrying a Handgun without a Permit.
Barnes, who is not the biological father of the baby, had an active warrant for armed robbery at the time of his arrest.
Barnes is the is the father of 1-month-old twins he had with Wilson.
All three children were placed into state custody.
The couple told police, “We didn’t do nothin’ wrong.”
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