Police: Iowa City man left loaded gun out, one child shot another

IOWA CITY — An Iowa City man faces child endangerment charges after police allege he left a loaded handgun unattended, allowing one child to shoot another child, causing serious injury.

Christopher L. Horras, 36, faces two counts of child endangerment, one a Class C felony and one an aggravated misdemeanor. He also faces the charge of making firearms available to a minor, a serious misdemeanor.

Altogether, these charges carry a maximum prison sentence of 13 years.

Iowa City police allege Horras left a loaded firearm in his bedroom Nov. 7. He went to another floor of the residence and was not watching two children, who went into the bedroom, police said.

“One of the children did access the firearm and shot the other,” the criminal complaint states. “The injured child suffered injuries meeting the definition of serious injury.”

Iowa City Public Safety Public Information Officer Lee Hermiston would not say where on the child’s body he or she was shot or give the children’s ages.

“Both children were elementary school age and the victim is not expected to have any lasting effects from the injuries they sustained,” Hermiston said.

The incident happened around 2:18 p.m. Nov. 7 at a residence on Foster Road, The Gazette reported Nov. 16. The police log item says “stab/gunshot/penetrating trauma” and in the notes area it says “5 YO.”

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