Thea Digiammerino

3-Year-Old Hurt After Getting Ahold of Parent's Gun: Hartford Police

A 3-year-old is recovering from a gunshot wound after getting ahold of his father’s gun, according to Hartford police.

Hartford Police Deputy Chief Brian Foley said Saturday that the child was brought to Saint Francis Hospital by his parents with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. The child was in critical condition and transported to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center for further treatment. The boy is expected to make a full recovery.

Police said the boy’s father is a legal gun owner and stores the firearm in a safe at the family’s home on East Raymond Street. He had taken the gun out of the safe and put it on the bed when the accident occurred.

“The child was in the room, unbeknownst to him. He had grabbed the gun while it was on the bed and pulled the trigger at the same time, shooting himself in the shoulder.” Foley said.

No charges have been filed, but there will be a criminal investigation and risk of injury charges or unsafe storage of a firearm charges are possible.

“It does bring up the issue of safely storing firearms around the house. This family looks like they took the right precautions 99 percent of the time. This is the unfortunate one percent,” Foley said.

The Department of Children and Families will be involved in the investigation as well.

“By accounts from community members this is a good family. Good, hardworking parents and this is just a tragic accident,” Foley said.

The investigation is ongoing. The child and parents have not been publicly identified.

No other details were immediately available.

((CORRECTION: Police initially said the injured child was 2, but later amended that information and said the boy was actually 3. The story has been updated to reflect that information.))

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