Two-year-old boy shoots parents after finding loaded handgun on bedside table
The toddler picked up the semi-automatic lying on his parents bedside table and shot them both, prompting Maine police to issue an urgent warning about gun safety
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2-year-old shoots parents inside home, sheriff says
The incident was reported just before 8 a.m. on New Meadows Road.
Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry said the child picked up the gun that was on a nightstand and shot his mother and father.
The mother, 22, suffered a leg wound, and the father, 25, was shot in the head, Merry said
The boy was struck in the face by the recoil of the weapon.
All three were transported to Mid Coast Hospital. The injuries are not considered life-threatening, he said.
“The question of how the boy was able to pick up and fire the weapon is of great concern and is being investigated. This situation, while disturbing, could have had an even more tragic ending. We are thankful that the injuries were not more serious,” Merry said.
“As tragic as this situation is, it clearly, could have been must worse,” Merry said during an interview Wednesday with NBC affiliate NEWS CENTER Maine.
Merry’s office is now investigating the circumstances behind the incident and is working with the area s district attorney to determine if there will be charges filed.
Prior to the incident, some lawmakers had already proposed a law that would, if passed, make it a specific crime in Maine to leave a loaded gun in a place where a child is likely to gain access to it and the child uses it. Under the bill, that would be considered child endangerment.