A 7-year-old Texas boy shot his 8-year-old cousin in the face while playing together with a loaded pistol. The boy is recovering in an intensive care unit of a hospital.
According to the Texas City police, the two children along with a 9-year-old were left unsupervised at an apartment and found the gun. The injured boy was airlifted to the hospital.
"The child is not in danger of dying, but he's still listed as critical," Texas City Police Captain Joe Stanton told Reuters.
According to Stanton, the officers noticed that no adults were in the house when they arrived. He also stated that the boyfriend of the victim's mother had likely been asked to look after the children, reports the Associated Press.
Neighbors were in shock after the incident. "To be honest I'm just shocked," said Ron Castillo. "I don't have any way to explain it. But that's just something tragic."
James Francis, another neighbor and a father of young boy, questioned parents' sanity over leaving loaded guns at home while being out. "It's crazy," said Francis, reports KHOU.com. "If you have them in your house, put them up. Keep them out of the children's way."
Texas Child Protective Services is investigating the incident.
In another such previous incident, a 5-year-old boy shot a 3-year-old girl in Colorado, Tuesday. She was stable but still critical.
According to the police statement, a 9-year-old boy found the gun in a home outside of Colorado Springs and then handed it over to the other boy. He in turn targeted the girl and shot her. The handgun "was then handled by the five-year-old who pointed it at the three-year-old and pulled the trigger," the statement read.
