Surveillance cameras captured the moment when the child allegedly grabbed a weapon from his stepdad, aimed the gun at him, and fired.
The footage reveals a heated confrontation. Pippens, seen in an orange outfit, is observed attempting to restrain the child’s mother, who is dressed in purple.
During the altercation, the child, wearing a red t-shirt and shorts, appears to take a gun from Pippens’ hip. He then aims it directly at Pippens and fires a single shot.
The incident, which occurred on July 1, has left Pippens hospitalized. Speaking from his hospital bed via his Instagram page, Pippens maintained that he was not the aggressor. He claimed the young boy acted under the influence of his mother.
“As y’all can see, I was not the aggressor. And y’all also can see how I still had my gun on my hip. He grabbed my gun off my hip following his mom’s lead, tried to shoot me, and then actually shot me,” he wrote.
Pippens expressed his disbelief over the incident, emphasizing his previous care for the child.
“My gun was on my hip, and I was trying to protect myself from getting shot. I never in a million years thought a kid for whom I bought four-wheelers, paid for football leagues, and everything, would do this, but he only knows what his mom shows him. I still love him like he’s mine,” he added.
Pippens suggested the argument might have been related to custody arrangements over a child the couple shares. He wrote, “Whatever makes y’all feel better. That’s why I got custody of my kids, and she doesn’t. Y’all so internet-think [sic] thank God it was me that took the shot and not her.”
The incident is currently under investigation, and further details are expected as authorities continue their inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
