Boy, 5, who accidentally shot himself released from hospital

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A 5-year-old boy who somehow got his hands on a gun at a home in the city's South Chicago neighborhood and accidentally shot himself got home from the hospital Thursday evening.

Kavan Collins was released from Comer Children's Hospital Thursday, and thanks to community leaders, organizations and residents, he came home to a big surprise.

Kavan shot himself in the index finger around 6:20 p.m. Tuesday.

"I am happy he is alive for Christmas, that's the most important thing," said Dantignay Brashear, Kavan's mother.

Brashear said she's thankful her son is now in a cast, back home and feeling better.

"He doing fine, he act like it don't hurt, he back to himself, like it ain't phase him," she said.

Police said Kavan got ahold of a gun belonging to his father, 25-year-old Kevin Collins. Police said the gun was under a mattress in Collins' bedroom.

Collins was arrested and charged with multiple counts of child endangerment and unlawful use of a weapon. Police said he is a convicted felon.

The weapon belongs to Collins, was kept loaded and was not properly stored, police said.

But at Thursday night's homecoming, none of that mattered. Kavan walked into a room with dozens of community-donated presents.

This was the second time Kavan has been shot in his short life. Around 9:10 p.m. on June 28, 2016, he was hit in the face by a stray bullet, which broke his jaw, while walking with his mother, brother and a family friend in the 6400-block of South Martin Luther King Drive in the city's Woodlawn neighborhood.

"I feel a lot of ways, I don't know how to feel, but I am strong for my kids, that's all. I still never really got over the first situation. This just made it even worser (sic) but he alive. I'm happy, he's happy, that's all that matters," Brashear said.

Brashear said Kavan will be back at the hospital next week for a check-up but so far he is doing very well.

Collins appeared in bond court Thursday morning and was ordered held on $5,000 bond. The court also ordered he is only allowed to have supervised visits with his son until further notice.

The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.