MURRAY, Utah, Jan. 30, 2020 (Gephardt Daily) — Murray Police officials say the toddler who suffered a gunshot wound to the head on Thursday shot himself, and is in stable condition and expected to survive.
Murray Police officer Kenny Bass told Gephardt Daily that the 3-year-old boy awoke before the rest of his family.
“He was home with his mother, his dad, and a sister that lives there, but they were all asleep, everybody but him,” Bass said. “He climbed up on a chair to the kitchen counter, then reached above the cabinets, where he located a gun.
“He was playing with it or something, and ended up shooting himself in the head.”
A family member rushed the child to a nearby hospital, which called police at about 6:30 a.m., Bass said. The young victim was then transported by medical helicopter to Primary Children’s Hospital for treatment, and is stable and expected to recover.
Bass said he had no information on the nature of the gunshot wound, or how the child avoided a more grave injury.
“Thanks goodness the injury is non life-threatening,” Bass said. “However it happened, thank goodness.”
Bass speculated that boy’s parents must have thought they had placed the loaded gun safely out of their 3 year old’s reach.
“Apparently, he’s quite the climber.”
