Four-year-old boy accidentally shoots three-year-old neighbour in the mouth
The boy’s father said he heard a loud noise from his bedroom alerting him to the accident
Your support helps us to tell the story
As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.
Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.
Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election
Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
A three-year-old boy is in a serious condition in hospital after he was shot in the mouth.
The boy is thought to have been shot by his four-year-old neighbour after the two were reportedly playing with a gun, though a spokesperson for police in Washington, US, said they do not have any information about the gun or where the children got it from.
The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office in Washington said the three-year-old’s father had heard a loud noise from the bedroom of the family’s home in Lake Stevens.
The father claims he found the door of the bedroom locked when he tried to enter it, but forced it open. He said he found his son with a mouth wound, but thought the injury had been caused by the door striking the child when he forced it open.
But when the child was examined at Providence Medical Centre, doctors discovered it was a gunshot wound and the boy was flown to Harborview Medical Centre in Seattle.
Detectives have said the circumstances of the incident remain under investigation.
They said the four-year-old may have accidentally shot the three-year-old, but it was not yet clear who owned the weapon, whether it was left unsecure or not or what had led to the gun being fired.
Authorities said both families are co-operating with investigators.
Additional reporting by PA
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments