A Missouri father has been charged with accidentally shooting and wounding his eight-year-old son after giving his children a lesson on gun safety as he put a pistol away.

Phillip Lumas Sr, 45, of Jefferson City, was charged Tuesday with felony second-degree domestic assault and misdemeanor second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.

Police wrote in a probable cause statement that officers were called Lumas' home in the 600 block of Linn Street just before 2.30am on Tuesday for a report of a shooting.

Phillip Lumas, 45, from Missouri, has been charged with accidentally shooting his 8-year-old child after giving a lesson on gun safety as he put a pistol away

Two days before the shooting, Lumas shared this image of his guns, seemingly including the Ruger 9mm pistol (right) that fired early Tuesday, hitting his son in the chest

Lumas told police he gave the brief gun safety lesson after the eight-year-old and a six-year-old asked about his pistols, reported Jefferson City News Tribune.

The father, who works as a kitchen supervisor at a local hotel, said he then had turned his attention to the TV and believed both children had left the bedroom before he began his nightly routine of removing the magazine from the pistol, racking the round from the chamber and dry firing the gun.

As he was doing day, Lumas said his eight-year-old startled him as he turned and the pistol fired, striking the boy in the chest.

Lumas' wife said her husband ran into the living room with their wounded son in his arms, saying he had accidentally shot him.

The boy was initially rushed to Capital Region Medical Center and was later transferred to University Hospital in Columbia. His condition was listed as stable as of Wednesday.

Lumas, a kitchen supervisor at a hotel, was upset and apologetic during his police interview

A search of Lumas' home turned up a loaded Ruger 9mm pistol and a spent 9mm shell casing.

During his interview with the police, Lumas reportedly admitted to accidentally shooting his son. He explained that he had given his children a brief lesson on gun safety because they were asking questions about his firearms.

Police noted in the probable cause statement that the 45-year-old dad was visibly upset and repeatedly apologized for the incident.

Lumas did not have a prior criminal history and legally owned the gun.