2-Year-Old Accidentally Shoots Mother, Sibling Outside Texas Walmart

A 2-year-old child in Texas accidentally shot their mother and 1-year-old sibling at a Walmart's parking lot.

The incident took place Wednesday morning when the family was at the store in Granbury, about 40 miles southwest of Fort Worth. At around 11:25 a.m., the toddler got their hands on a handgun that was placed inside the car and fired a single shot that struck both the 23-year-old mother and the younger sibling, according to WFAA-TV Channel 8.

The unidentified mother was standing outside the driver’s door of the truck at the time, according to evidence at the scene and witness accounts, the cops said. The children's 26-year-old unidentified father was also at the scene and was standing behind the vehicle. The names and genders of the children were not revealed by the authorities.

Officials said the handgun was concealed between the seat and the center console. The bullet fired by the toddler hit the 1-year-old child's leg before striking the mother's arm. The bullet also struck the woman's chest. The police said the younger sibling was shot in the soft tissue of their leg, and the injury was not believed to be life-threatening.

While the baby was taken to the hospital in an ambulance, the mother was flown to a hospital in Fort Worth. No updates were given on the mother’s current condition, as reported by Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Initial reports said the child, who fired the shot was aged 1 while the baby shot was 3-months-old. However, the police corrected the ages and said the former is 2 years old while the latter is 1, according to ABC News. As investigations continue, the police are yet to reveal whether charges will be filed.

A similar incident took place on Christmas Day after a North Carolina girl accidentally shot herself in the head. The child, identified as 3-year-old Aylee Gordon, found the gun inside a truck and accidentally pulled the trigger on herself at around 2:30 p.m. The child’s father, Tim Gordon, said the pistol belonged to someone visiting the family for the holiday. Aylee underwent surgery at the Mission Hospital but was unfortunately pronounced dead a few days later.