# Mom avoids long prison sentence after 3-year-old shoots himself

> Ohio mother gets six months community control after son dies by self-inflicted gunshot.
- Title: Mom avoids long prison sentence after 3-year-old shoots…
- Summary: Ohio mother gets six months community control after son dies by self-inflicted gunshot. Carley Dials, 30, avoided prison after her 3-year-old son Cartier…
- Keywords: carley dials, cartier smith, sean perrin, columbus ohio, community control, involuntary manslaughter, endangering children, reckless homicide, weapon under disability, crime, news, Mom
- Source: Law & Crime — https://lawandcrime.com/crime/mom-of-3-year-old-who-shot-himself-while-she-slept-next-to-the-man-who-brought-the-gun-into-their-home-avoids-long-prison-sentence
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: carley dials, cartier smith, sean perrin, columbus ohio, community control, involuntary manslaughter, endangering children, reckless homicide, weapon under disability, crime, news
## Case summary
Carley Dials, 30, avoided trial after her 3-year-old son Cartier Smith died by self-inflicted gunshot in their Columbus, Ohio home.
## Charges and plea
Dials pleaded guilty to obstructing justice, avoiding involuntary manslaughter and endangering children charges.
## Incident timeline
Dials slept with Sean Perrin, 32, when Cartier found the gun Dials tried to hide and shot himself.
## Perrin's charges
Perrin pleaded guilty to reckless homicide and having a weapon under disability, avoiding additional charges.
## 911 call details
Dials made a 911 call while Perrin fled the apartment, where Cartier was found with a gunshot wound.
## Perrin's background
Perrin had been arrested in March 2025 for violating parole after a 2019 gun conviction.
## Dials' actions
Dials hid the gun between mattress and wall before sleeping, but Cartier found it.
## Perrin's sentencing
Perrin scheduled for sentencing on December 10, 2026, after pleading guilty to reckless homicide.
## Dials' sentence
Dials received six months community control after pleading guilty to obstructing justice.
## Death date
Cartier died of a gunshot wound on September 22, 2025, after finding the gun.
## Perrin's plea deal
An additional charge of having a weapon under disability was dropped as part of Perrin's plea agreement.
## Police response
Police arrived at the apartment after Dials made the 911 call, finding Cartier with a gunshot wound.
## Dials' account
Dials said she found Perrin's gun on the bedroom floor around 3 a.m. and hid it between mattress and wall.
## Perrin's status
Perrin is scheduled for sentencing on December 10, 2026, after pleading guilty to reckless homicide.
## Consequence
Dials avoided prison after her son's death by self-inflicted gunshot in their home.
## Key takeaway

Carley Dials, 30, avoided prison after her 3-year-old son Cartier Smith died by self-inflicted gunshot in their Columbus, Ohio home.