Grandma accidentally shoots 4-year-old boy while unloading gun, Pennsylvania cops say

Four young children were playing in a living room when one of them was accidentally shot by a grandmother unloading her gun, according to Pennsylvania news reports.

Philadelphia police were called to the shooting at about 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 1. When officers arrived, they found a 4-year-old boy shot in his abdomen, according to an incident report.

Chief Inspector Scott Small said the boy was heavily bleeding from the gunshot wound, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Police told McClatchy News the boy was taken to a hospital in critical condition, but he has since “been placed in stable condition.”

Investigators say this was an accidental shooting, according to the incident report. The 45-year-old woman, the child’s grandma, was unloading her firearm to put it in a lock box.

As she was unloading it, police say “she accidentally discharged the gun not knowing that a round was still chambered.”

The three other children who were playing in the room were not hurt, according to WPVI.

No charges have been filed as of Friday, Sept. 2.

“I’m devastated that yet another innocent child was critically injured by gunfire in our city,” Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw tweeted. “While our department continues to investigate the circumstances of what initially appears to be a tragic accident, we pray that this boy - and all victims of gun trauma - make full recoveries.

“These tragedies should never happen, and their impact affects entire communities,” she continued. “As parents, mentors, and community members we all have to do better; for our kids, ourselves, and each other.”

This story was originally published September 2, 2022 at 11:31 AM with the headline "Grandma accidentally shoots 4-year-old boy while unloading gun, Pennsylvania cops say."