TITUSVILLE, Fla. — The man accused of child neglect and felony weapons charges in connection to the shooting of a 9-year-old in Titusville will remain behind bars.
Dustin Adkins' criminal past is one of the reasons he will remain behind bars.
- No bond for Dustin Matthew Adkins
- Adkins, 34, charged with child neglect in shooting
- 9-year-old girl accidentally shot by sibling in the woods
- He's on probation for manslaughter in shooting death of child
Adkins, 34, is facing 55 counts of felony weapons charges because he is a convicted felon on top of aggravated child neglect charges in connection to the shooting that landed that 9-year-old in the hospital.
Adkins was not issued bond when he appeared in court Sunday morning.
According to Titusville Police, the incident happened Saturday afternoon, when four young children and Titusville man Dustin Matthew Adkins, 34, were in a wooded area east of State Road 407 and north of Interstate 95 shooting firearms.
Adkins' arrest affidavit said he reportedly went to check on a hog trap, leaving the four kids unattended with guns and ammo. Soon after, the girl was accidentally shot in the left hip area.
She was critically injured and taken to Parrish Medical Center. She was eventually transported by helicopter to an Orlando hospital.
Officers found several firearms on a trail hidden under a disposed tire in a wooded area.
This isn't Adkins first run in with the law and firearms. In 2011 Adkins was showing a friend a gun when according to court documents the handgun accidentally fired and ended up going through the wall into the kitchen where a 13-year-old was hit by a bullet and later died.
The judge ruled that "based on the nature of the offense and the history presented and the violation of probation and I'm going to issue no bond on every one of those counts."
Adkin's dad Earl told Spectrum News 13 his son would go target practice shooting with his 19-year-old nephew, but he said Dustin bringing the younger kids was something he's never done before.
“He's not the bad person people are making him out to be,” Earl Adkins said.
The girl shot is reportedly still in the hospital. According to Earl Adkins, the kids are not dealing with the news of Dustin Adkins' arrest well.