A Texas toddler is in critical condition after he accidentally shot himself with his grandfather's gun on Sunday, according to reports.
First responders scrambled to save the life of the 3-year-old boy after he shot himself in the face with his grandfather's handgun. The incident took place at approximately 4 p.m. after his grandparents left him alone in a bedroom for his afternoon nap in Spring, located about 25 miles north of Houston, according to the Harris County Pct. 4 Constable's Office, KTRK-TV reported.
"From what we understand, he was shot in the face and there was an exit point. So this three-year-old for sure, needs our thoughts and prayers," says Precinct Four Constable Mark Herman.
Emergency personnel airlifted the boy to Memorial Hermann Hospital as investigators try to figure out if the firearm had one of the safety locks distributed by local law enforcement agencies after several child gun deaths related incidents earlier this year, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Houston has seen a series of accidental shootings involving children in recent months. Three children were shot, two of them fatally within a span of four days earlier this year. A 3-year-old died after he accidentally shot himself using a handgun he found in a purse. A 4-year-old killed himself with a handgun found under a bed. A 6-year-old suffered gunshot wounds after his younger brother, who found a handgun in a backpack, shot him.
"The importance of gun safety and child locks always becomes magnified with tragedies such as these," said Harris County Deputy Thomas Gilliland. "We stress the proper storing and locking of weapons away from children and others," according to New York Daily News.
