IRA, Vt. — Vermont State Police say a 9-year-old girl has been hospitalized in the intensive care unit after her father accidentally shot her in the stomach while cleaning a .22-caliber handgun.

Police said McKenzie Ezzo of Poultney underwent surgery and was in guarded condition at the University of Vermont Medical Center.

The shooting happened on Sunday morning at a campsite in a wooded area off US Route 4 in Ira. Police said the father, Randy Babcock, was cleaning the gun.

The child was carried by family members to a rest area. They were met by emergency personnel.

Police are investigating.