Pennsylvania father Jose Hilario Abreu charged after three-year-old son shoots himself dead with loaded gun he found under couch

A father has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after his three-year-old shot himself with an unattended loaded gun found under the couch.

Jose Hilario Abreu, 28, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, was arraigned Friday on two additional charges of child endangerment in relation to the death of his son, Elijah Abreu Borgen.

Abreau allegedly left a loaded semi-automatic handgun underneath the couch. Elijah and a two-year-old child were sitting on the couch when their father left the room.

After hearing a loud bang, Abreu rushed back to the room only to find his son with a gunshot wound through his chest, according to Lehigh County prosecutors.

Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said the gun 'was unholstered and resting atop of a pillow on the couch where both toddlers were sitting.'

Jose Hilario Abreu has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment after his toddler, Elijah (pictured), shot himself with an unattended fully loaded gun

First responders arrived at the family's house around noon after the toddler's mother called 911, reporting that her son had shot himself.

Elijah was rushed to Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest, but ultimately died from the sustained injuries. His death was ruled as accidental.

Proof that the child got a hold of the gun was confirmed after a rapid gunshot residue test showed a 'presumptive positive indication' that there was gunshot residue on his hands.

Court documents confirm Abreau is being represented by the county public defender's office. 

In an interview with LehighValleyNews.com, Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk shared his thoughts on this 'horrifying story.'

'This is incredibly devastating for people in Allentown and particularly for parents of children in Allentown,' Tuerk said. 

'The compassion that we must extend toward the family is … you can't even think of what it's like to lose a child, particularly in this fashion.' 

Tuerk said that gun reform should be of the utmost importance to lawmakers. 

'But all of that legislation also requires that we have people who are responsibly handling guns,' he said. 

'This is a clear case of somebody who had no business owning a gun, a clear case of irresponsible gun ownership.'

The mayor said he wanted to stress the importance of locking away guns.

'If you have a gun in your possession, you need to do everything you can to make sure that it's safely and securely stored,' he said.

State Representative Josh Siegel said he agreed that Elijah's father was guilty.

'We should not tolerate — as a city or society —reckless and negligent handling of firearms especially when they endanger the life of a child,' Siegel said. 'This was the right call, and I hope it sends a strong message to future parents and saves future lives.' 

The semi-automatic handgun was left underneath the couch the three-year-old was sitting on

'This was the right call, and I hope it sends a strong message to future parents and saves future lives.' 

'These tragedies wouldn't happen if Pennsylvania had safe-storage and child-access-prevention laws to ensure that guns were properly stored and away from children,' he said.

'Be a good parent, a responsible gun owner and store your damn guns responsibly for the sake of your family,' Siegel said.

A GoFundMe has been made by Yaileen Baez Giron, Elijah's aunt, for his funeral services. 

'He was a smart loving little boy. Always playful and with a smile on his face. He loved his animals collections especially his dinosaurs. He has made a huge impact in our lives in short time he was with us,' the caption of the fundraiser read.

The page has raised more than $7,800 so far.