cell phone video, gun in toddler’s mouth, Indiana couple

An Indiana couple has been placed under arrest after a cell phone video has surfaced which shows a gun in a toddler’s mouth. According to law enforcement the video shows the couple encouraging the toddler to place the weapon in her mouth, and to then make sounds like the gun was being discharged. 19 year old Michael Barnes is obviously not the brightest parent, and neither is the little girl’s mom who told police that it was only a pellet gun. Barnes was initially arrested because he arranged to sell a gun to an undercover officer, using social media in order to facilitate the transaction. After Michael was arrested the police found the cell phone video on his phone, and this led to further questioning.

When police were following up on the initial investigation on the attempted sale of a weapon they went through the cell phone of Michael Barnes, and this was when the cell phone video showing the gun in the toddler’s mouth was discovered and the Indiana couple was in deeper trouble. Both parents, Michael Barnes and 22 year old Toni Wilson, can be heard in the video background, and they are voicing encouragement for the little girl to play with the gun. According to the police “Barnes can be heard telling the child to say “pow” on multiple occasions while the child plays with the gun. The video also shows the child placing the muzzle of the gun in her mouth. At no point does Barnes try to stop the child from playing with the gun.”