GROVETOWN, Ga. (WJBF)- The Grovetown Police Department is investigating a shooting that happened Monday evening. Officers got a call to the Sterlington Apartments. 

“What Columbia County had come across was they were flagged down just outside the city limits over on Horizon South Parkway by a vehicle when they approached the vehicle two adults jumped out holding a small child that was suffering from a gunshot wound,” said Chief Jamey Kitchens, Grovetown Police Dept.

Investigators say 24-year-old Daveon Daniels told them he put a loaded machine gun on the floor of his apartment, while he went downstairs to take a phone call.

Not long after that, he heard a gun shot. He ran upstairs to find his 4 year old  daughter with a gunshot wound to the head. 

The police chief says the machine gun was illegally modified. 

“In this instance it was a Glock handgun, it can be placed and it alters the firing mechanism to where instead of having to pull each time to fire you can pull the trigger one time and it will expel all the rounds,” said Chief Kitchens.

Daniels is charged with Cruelty to Children 2nd degree and Possession of a Machine Gun.

Chief Kitchens says Daniels is a convicted felon and they plan to add more charges.

“Today we’ll be adding Possession of Firearm by a Convicted Felon…we have also spoken with the ATF who are interested in the fact that he had the modified pistol and they may or may not look at making charged as well.”

He also says this sends a message to parents to keep guns away from children.

“Just please be responsible with your firearms children do not need to be getting a hold of these and mistaken it for a toy. A child does not possess the mental capacity to understand the damage that it can do.”

The 4-year-old child is still in critical condition.