A two-year-old boy accidentally shot a man inside a home in the southeastern United States when he grabbed a gun.
Police in Chesterfield County, Virginia, confirmed some details to CBS 6 News.
“It appears that the following events occurred: The victim was preparing to leave the house and had placed his handgun on a nearby chair when a child, who is nearly three years old, retrieved the gun,” a police spokesperson said.
READ MORE: Court upholds conviction of former secretary at Nazi concentration camp, age 99
“The child accidentally discharged the firearm, shooting the victim. The child was not injured and no one else in the house was injured. Again, the investigation is ongoing.”
The adult victim, who police said was the boyfriend of the child’s mother, was flown to hospital where he was last listed in critical condition.
The shooting was reported on Monday morning (local time) in the Ettrick community.
Neighbour Lisa Wood said she saw the child shortly after the shooting.
“After I went into the house, he’s sitting there like a normal kid. It’s not like, you know, he’s worried, or, you know, anything like that. He still has a smile,” she said.
Everyone in the neighbourhood who spoke with CBS 6 said they hoped the victim made a full recovery and called the incident a reminder about the importance of gun safety.
“Bad things happen whenever you’re not responsible with your stuff. And it really, really, really sucks that it had to be a child. And, you know, hopefully this adult will pull through because, like, this sucks,” Wood said.
FOLLOW US ON WHATSAPP HERE: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, celebrity and sport via our WhatsApp channel. No comments, no algorithm and nobody can see your private details.
links to content on ABC
9News
