2-Year-Old Child Accidentally Shoots Self In Face With Unsecured Gun

A 2-year-old child in Illinois was hospitalized in critical condition after he accidentally shot himself in the face with an unsecured gun that he found at his home.

The police were called to a home Tuesday in the 300-block of Comstock Street in Joliet about a shooting incident. When the officers arrived, they found the boy in a pool of blood.

They began lifesaving measures immediately, and rushed the boy to St. Joseph Medical Center. The child, who has not been identified, was later airlifted to Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago for further treatment, WGNTV reported.

Authorities said the child found the unsecured handgun in a bedroom. The child's mother was in the house, but had gone to another room, leaving the boy alone only for a few minutes when the incident took place.

The police are still investigating how the child gained access to the weapon.

Investigators are trying to determine who the gun belongs to, and whether criminal charges should be filed against any member of the family. It wasn't clear who all lived in the house.

The mother is cooperating with the investigation, the police said, according to ABC7 Chicago.

"Especially like this where there is a tragedy, there has to be some sort of accountability in a case like this, so that is something that is completely within the realm of this investigation," Sgt. Dwayne English, Joliet Police Department, said.

The police reiterated the safety of children in a house with weapons. Officers reportedly said gun owners must keep their weapons locked in a gun safe, unloaded if possible, with ammunition locked up in a separate location.

In another recent incident, a 3-year-old child in South Carolina accidentally fatally shot her mother after gaining access to a firearm in the house. The victim was identified as Cora Lyn Bush, according to Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger. The woman and her child were at their home when the incident took place.

According to Healhychildren.org, an estimated 4.6 million kids in the United States live with unlocked, loaded guns, which makes chances of accidental death by shooting four times higher.