An eight-year-old girl in Albuquerque, New Mexico, shot herself in both legs after finding an unattended handgun on a kitchen counter, prompting the arrest of her 26-year-old cousin, Isaiah Richard Chavez, on child abuse and negligence charges. The case has been brought under Bennie's Law, legislation designed to hold adults accountable for leaving firearms accessible to children, highlighting ongoing concerns about gun storage safety in homes.

Police were called to the scene around 6am after the child accidentally discharged the weapon, which Chavez had left on the counter after emptying his pockets before going to sleep. A relative who works as a registered nurse drove the girl to hospital, where doctors said her injuries were not life-threatening. Chavez, who has pleaded not guilty, told investigators the gun was normally kept in his truck, while his family maintain the shooting was a genuine accident and that he should not face charges. Bennie's Law, named after a 13-year-old fatally shot at a New Mexico school in 2021, has been used in 35 similar cases since it took effect in 2023.