A three-year old and a four year old were injured today by their gun-owning parents’ negligence.  This is at least the fourth day in a row that young children were injured in gun accidents. You can track the links to the other stories here.

In Houston, Texas, a three year-old was shot in the upper chest and rushed to the hospital when his mother’s gun went off while she was getting something out of her purse.  There is no reporting about whether or how the trigger was pulled. The boy is expected to survive.

A four-year old South Bend, Indiana boy found a gun in his home and shot himself.  He suffered “non-life threatening injuries to his lower extremities.”  An emaciated and neglected dog was also found at the scene. The boy’s parents were arrested and charged with “neglect of a dependent and neglect of a vertebrate animal.” 

Low trigger pull weight almost certainly contributed to both these accidents.

Sources:

“HPD: 3-year-old Boy Shot When Gun From Mother’s Purse Goes Off,” khou.com (October 6, 2021).

“Two Arrested for Neglect after 4-year-old Injured in Apparent Accidental Shooting,” wsbt.com (October 5, 2021).