4-Year-Old Alabama Boy Accidentally Shoots Himself and Survives: His Home Is Full of Snakes, Mice, and Guns, Cops Allege

A 4-year-old Alabama boy accidentally shot himself in his own home recently. He survived, but when police arrived, they reportedly found snakes and mice — some were alive and some were dead — and guns in the boy’s home. The boy’s parents, Cassandra Lynn Lutz, 39, and 27-year-old Alexander Andrew Corrie are now in custody.

According to a Blount County Sheriff’s Office press conference, the incident happened on April, 4 in in Oneonta, Alabama. The young boy accidentally shot himself at his home, about 37 miles from Birmingham, sustaining injuries to his arm and leg. He is expected to fully recover. 

The incident prompted authorities to investigate the family’s home, leading to alarming discoveries. Not long afterward, cops arrested the boy’s parents, Lutz and Corrie on animal cruelty, reckless endangerment, and related charges.

Snakes, mice, and more guns … oh my!

WTF… In Oneonta, Alabama, a 4-year-old boy accidentally shot himself with an unsecured handgun in his home. The parents, Cassandra Lynn Lutz, 39, and Alexander Andrew Corrie, 27, were arrested on charges including first-degree assault, chemical endangerment of a child, animal… pic.twitter.com/UeJ7yUIGG0

— Satguy 141 (@satguy01) April 16, 2025

According to Alabama police, investigators found approximately 30 snakes—some alive and some deceased—kept in plastic containers without lids inside the boy’s home. Six of the snakes were dead and decomposing alongside living ones. WBRC reports drugs and drug paraphernalia were also recovered.

Additionally, several boxes of mice were present in the same room. A crocodile was also discovered in an aquarium on a bathroom counter. Official documents described the boy’s home as overrun with animals and unsecured firearms.

According to AL.com, the Alabama Department of Human Resources removed other children from the home. “Parents must ensure guns are properly stored in the home out of the reach of small children,” Blount County District Attorney Pamela Casey said of the case. “We are working with law enforcement to ensure the safety and well-being of these children,” Casey added.

Doctors operated on the boy, and according to WBRC, he is at Children’s of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. ​If convicted on all charges, Lutz and Corrie could face substantial fines and spend at least 20 years in prison. It’s not immediately clear when Lutz and Corrie are expected to appear in court.