A Coatesville man who left his gun unsecured is charged in his 4-year-old brother’s accidental shooting

Victor Lara-Ortiz felt he needed a gun for protection on Coatesville’s streets, prosecutors said Tuesday. But the 18-year-old’s illegal weapon — left out in a bedroom — fell into the hands of his 4-year-old brother, Roman, who shot himself in the head with the gun on Feb. 28.

Now, Lara-Ortiz has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, firearms violations, and related offenses in a death that investigators said was preventable. The man who police said gave him the gun, William Thomas, 31, has been charged with illegally transferring a firearm, as well as making unsworn statements for lying to clerks at the Lancaster County gun store where he bought it.

Lara-Ortiz was released Tuesday afternoon after posting $10,000 bail, while Thomas remained in custody in lieu of $5,000 bail. There was no indication either man had retained an attorney.

» READ MORE: A community mourns a 4-year-old boy who died of a gunshot wound in his Coatesville home

Chester County District Attorney Deborah Ryan said at a news conference Tuesday that Lara-Ortiz’s “reckless and grossly negligent behavior” is part of the larger epidemic of gun violence that is increasingly affecting Coatesville this year.

“We cannot lose another life to this senseless crime,” Ryan said. “This is another heartbreaking and tragic incident where the death of a child was 100% preventable.”

Police were called to the home Lara-Ortiz shared with his mother and two brothers on Chestnut Street in Coatesville for reports of a shooting, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest.

There, officers found Roman shot once in the head inside Lara-Ortiz’s bedroom. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A Glock handgun with one spent shell casing was found at the boy’s feet.

In an interview with detectives, Lara-Ortiz admitted the gun was his and said he often left it un-holstered and unsecured in his bedroom, according to the affidavit.

Detectives, using a database maintained by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, discovered that the Glock used in the shooting had been purchased Feb. 15 at the Trop Gun Shop in Gap, Lancaster County, the affidavit said. It had been purchased by Thomas, who was unable to legally buy guns because of a conviction for simple assault.

Thomas, according to Ryan, lied to workers at the store about his criminal record. How he was able to purchase the gun without a full background check is under investigation, Ryan said.

Thomas later gave the gun to Lara-Ortiz, who was 17 at the time and unable to legally purchase a gun. A video found on Lara-Ortiz’s phone depicted him firing the gun from a vehicle a few days before the fatal shooting, the affidavit said.

Investigators also found that Thomas tried to buy more guns on two other occasions. During one of these attempts, he took Lara-Ortiz with him to a store in Chester County, according to court filings. He was denied both times.

Thomas and Lara-Ortiz also texted back and forth about guns, police said. After the shooting, Lara-Ortiz asked the older man for advice, and Thomas told him not to go home after word of Roman’s death spread through news reports.

Roman’s death rocked the block he and his family lived on, with neighbors expressing shock and dismay at his death. They remembered him as a sweet and quiet boy who was always smiling.

Coatesville Police Chief Jack Laufer III said Tuesday that his officers can’t enforce their way to safety and asked everyone to be mindful of the dangers that guns can present.

“It takes everyone’s efforts to help us combat gun violence,” Laufer said. “This is a tragic example, but you see the consequences of what happens when a gun is placed in the hands of a child.”