Ohio mom went to work after boy shot his sister, prosecutor says

ASHLAND, Ohio — An 8-year-old boy loaded a rifle, repeatedly shot his 4-year-old sister at home and then informed their mother, who left work to check the girl’s injuries, cleaned up a bloody bed cover and returned to work, leaving the children alone again, a prosecutor said.

Alyssa Edwards, 27, is jailed on child endangerment charges related to the Saturday shooting in Hayesville, about 70 miles (110 kilometers) southwest of Cleveland.

Her attorney, Donald Wick, said Tuesday that he had just received the case and couldn’t yet comment.

An arraignment is scheduled Wednesday. She tearfully appeared for court Monday via video and said that there was no information that a magistrate needed to consider before he set her bond at $30,000, The Ashland Times-Gazette reported .

Edwards took the girl to a hospital hours after the shooting, Ashland County Prosecutor Christopher Tunnell said, and the hospital contacted police.

The 4-year-old girl was stable Monday at a children’s hospital in Cleveland. Her injuries aren’t considered life-threatening, said Ashland County sheriff’s Chief Deputy Carl Richert said.

The 8-year-old boy was in the custody of children’s services.

The rifle was kept in a gun locker with other firearms, and the boy knew how to open the locker if it was locked, Tunnell said.