Three-year-olds Injured After Shooting Themselves with Unsecured Guns

A three-year-old boy in Newark, New Jersey, is recovering at the hospital after he was critically injured from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Three children were home at the time of the shooting, and the toddler’s older brother sought help at a corner store saying his younger brother couldn’t breathe. The gun was recovered, but it’s unclear if adults were in the home or how the boy got the gun. A neighborhood mother was devastated to learn about the shooting, and talked about the need to safely store weapons, but thankful the outcome wasn’t worse. “And what would you say…you would blame yourself for the rest of your life,” she said. Police are continuing to investigate. 

And a three-year-old boy in Cleveland, Ohio, shot himself with an unsecured gun, and was taken to the hospital in stable condition with a graze wound to his hand. Police arrested an unidentified 25-year-old on a charge of child endangerment.

Sources:

Toni Yates, “Newark Police Investigating How 3-year-old Boy Injured Himself with Self-Inflicted Gunshot,” abc7ny.com (August 16, 2024).

Jeff Goldman, “3-year-old Boy’s Condition Improving After Accidentally Shooting Himself,” nj.com (August 19, 2024).

Alec Sapolin, “Toddler Accidentally Shoots Himself With Unsecured Gun in Downtown Cleveland, Man Arrested: Police,” cleveland19.com (August 15, 2024).