2-Year-Old Arizona Boy Shoots Himself in the Face With Father's Gun
A 2-year-old boy in the Arizona suburb of Peoria was hospitalized after he allegedly shot himself in the face Thursday night.
The shooting occurred around 9:30 p.m. Thursday while the boy and his 7-year-old brother were being supervised by their grandmother and aunt, according to AZ Central.
However, police say that the toddler was playing on a bed when he found the gun wrapped up in the sheets. After getting hold of the weapon, the baby then discharged one bullet, striking himself in the face.
His aunt, who was was washing dishes in the kitchen at the time, called 911 after she heard the gun go off.
"My baby nephew got shot in the face with a gun," the aunt told the 911 operator, reports The Associated Press. When the operator asks who did the shooting, the aunt replies: "He did it."
She also told a fire department dispatcher that he was having difficulty breathing.
"My mother is holding him ... he's barely breathing," she said
The boy was then taken to be treated at Phoenix Children's Hospital. He was reported to be in critical but stable condition on Friday.
"The bullet struck his cheek and exited his head," Sgt. Shari Howard told CBS 5. "A portion of his skull was removed to alleviate the swelling. Doctors believe it will be another week before they can give an updated prognosis."
The toddler's grandmother said she was not aware that he had the firearm until she heard the shot.
Investigators said the gun belongs to the toddler's father, who has been identified as Manuel Zeschitz-Garrison. He was not home at the time of the shooting.
No criminal charges are pending at this time. However, police warned that gun owners should take precaution.
"You've got to keep this gun with a gun lock and a gun safe and keep it out of the hands of children," Jay Davies of the Peoria Police Department said. "Unfortunately these are the types of things that happen when these precautions are not in place."
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