Police say Indiana father delayed medical treatment after 5-year-old shot in leg

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Indiana State Police Detectives arrested a Brownstown father on Tuesday after his son was shot in the leg last week.

The father, 40-year-old Avis Wingler Jr., was also shot in the leg.

"I was standing out on my porch at about midnight, one o'clock in the morning," said Alvin Fields. "I heard a gunshot. When I head the gunshot, I said it's time for me to go back in the house."

Fields heard the gunfire last Wednesday night, but he said it was a mystery until a few days ago. "My wife got me up out of bed between 6:30 and 7:30 in the morning, she said, 'You gotta come quick, the police are out here," he said.

Fields said police from several agencies were at Wingler's home in the 1000 block of West Oak Street on March 4.

Detectives were investigating after Wingler and his 5-year-old son showed up at Schneck Medical Center in Seymour, Indiana. Both Wingler and the child were suffering from gunshot wounds to their legs.

Wingler was treated and released. The child was taken to Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he was treated and released. As detectives continued investigating, they discovered Wingler was supervising his son that evening, and was handling a loaded handgun in the living room, with his son nearby.

Police say the gun went off, "causing one round to go through Wingler's leg and into the leg of his son." Detectives reviewed footage from a security camera at the home that showed Wingler allegedly altered the scene instead of providing medical aid to his son.

"After the defendant shot his son with the gun, he didn’t properly render medical aid ... instead went around his house doing other things while his son was suffering," Jeff Chalfant, the Jackson County Prosecuting attorney, said.

According to a probable cause affidavit, the child was seen "limping away in a fast manner." The court document also said, "Wingler had alcohol in his body."

Police say Wingler also called a relative to the home, who provided medical aid to the child before taking them both to the hospital. Based on the information from the investigation, Wingler was arrested on one felony count of criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury and neglect of a dependent causing serious bodily injury.