A small girl was shot in her home on Neal’s Pen Road last night. But it’s not what you might think, this wasn’t a stray bullet from street violence, she was shot by her 22 year old uncle with a 9 millimeter pistol, but it was an accident. Still, it was the kind of careless mishap that could have ended this child’s life or left her maimed, and when Jacqueline Godwin found her today, she was the picture of courage.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
You can’t help but be encouraged by four year old Noelle Castillo’s big beautiful smile and spirit of bravery because no child at her young age should have experienced what she did around seven thirty on Sunday night. The preschooler was accidentally shot by her uncle twenty two year old Ottis Clother inside their home on Jane Usher Boulevard. But while Noelle may not be aware of just how lucky she is to be alive her mother Valerie Clother knows it is a miracle that the bullet did not take the life of her only child.
Valerie Clother, Mother of Shooting victim
“Well she is doing good. They said it didn’t damage any bones, no artery, no nothing – it is just entered through the muscle and came out back so she really good. She is doing good.”
The nine milimeter bullet struck young Noelle first in the lower part of her buttocks; it exited just above her little right knee and then grazed her left leg. The licensed nine milimeter pistol is the property of Valerie’s father forty eight year old Leroy Clother, the driver of the Minister of Works Anthony Boots Martinez. Valerie said the family had just returned from attending the funeral of her adopted brother and they were inside the kitchen when she heard a loud noise. At that time Noelle was standing by the refrigerator
Valerie Clother,
“And we just came from a funeral, my ma and so, because our adopted brother died and we were talking because this baby dropped in the gave and we were talking how this baby just dropped in the grave like that and everybody was screaming to take him out. And then all of a sudden we just heard this big loud noise and we thought it was pop shot. After this big noise my baby just screamed and everybody said my baby got shot. I wanted to know how my baby got shot, I was screaming, ‘how you mean my baby got shot. My baby can’t get shot.’ When I look, my baby was just full up of blood. It was nerve wrecking for me.”
According to Valerie her dad had just gotten through cleaning the gun and put it on the kitchen counter when her brother reached for the weapon.
Valerie Clother,
“He was cleaning it because he was going to travel and being a licensed gun, you take it for your protection because you never know what might happen. And at the same time he just put it down and I don’t know what my brother was thinking to pick up that because we are not gun persons, we are not people affiliated with gun. One of our brother died already from a gunshot in his head so we don’t deal with it, it is not something we grow up the deal with and I don’t know what possessed him that day. My brother is in a real state of shock, he can’t look me in my eye, he can’t look at my baby. So it is not something which he mean to do, it was an accident.”
While the police have retrieved the weapon with a magazine containing twelve nine milimeter live rounds as an exhibit Valerie Clother says she will not press charges.
Valerie Clother,
“Well I ask them not to because that is my baby’s uncle that is their only niece, so I don’t think he meant to do what he did. So I don’t think they should bring charges. I asked them not to. I think he is already punishing enough for it, knowing what he did. I don’t think they should.”
Luckily 4 year old Noelle Castillo did not suffer any major injuries and her prognosis for a full recovery is very good. But the incident has raised serious concerns about the properly handling of licensed firearms by owners so that such incidents like what happened to young Noelle will never happen again.
Jacqueline Godwin,
As a result of this incident better precautions will be taken in handling the weapon noh?
Valerie Clother,
“Yes, I really think so. If he does get it back, my father will take more because that is the only grand daughter. He has three nephews but that is the only grand daughter. So I guess they will be more careful around the children because mostly young ones live at my mom’s house so I guess it won’t be around like that anymore.”
Coincidentally, Noelle’s teacher had recently spoken to the class about weapons and how they can get hurt.
Noelle Castillo, Recovering from Gunshot Wound
“I tell the doctor how my teacher told me not to play with guns because you can get hurt.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
So what advice you have for children your age, only 4 years old, whose parents may have licensed firearms at home? What advice you have for them, what is it you want to tell them?
Noelle Castillo,
“Not to play with guns because you can get hurt.”
And all young Noelle wants to do now is get well and join her classmates at her preschool.
Jacqueline Godwin,
Cause school opened today, you wait to get back to school chu?
Noelle Castillo,
“Yes ma’am.”
Four year old Noelle Castillo is making great progress and hopefully her wish to return to school soon will come through. Jacqueline Godwin reporting for 7News.
Four year old Noelle remains in a stable condition at the KHMH. Meanwhile the gun has been identified as a licensed black Ruger brand nine milimeter pistol.
