Toddler reaches into purse and gun goes off, killing mom

KREM-TV, Spokane, Wash.

Show Caption Hide Caption Toddler fatally shoots mom at Walmart Veronica Rutledge was shopping at an Idaho Walmart, when deputies say her 2-year-old son reached into her purse and accidentally discharged the gun, killing her.

HAYDEN, Idaho — A mom shopping at a Walmart store died Tuesday after her toddler, who was left in a shopping cart, reached into her purse and accidentally discharged her handgun, authorities said.

Veronica J. Rutledge, 29, of Blackfoot, Idaho, had gone to the store in this Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, suburb with four children in tow at mid-morning.

Her 2-year-old son, who was sitting in the shopping cart, reached into his mother's purse, causing the small-caliber handgun to discharge one time, said Lt. Stu Miller, Kootenai County Sheriff's Office spokesman.

"It appears to be a pretty tragic accident," Miller said. Rutledge was dead by the time deputies arrived.

She had traveled to Hayden, about 400 miles northwest of Blackfoot, to visit relatives for the holidays, Miller said.

Rutledge "was a beautiful, young, loving mother," said her father-in-law, Terry Rutledge. "She was not the least bit irresponsible. She was taken much too soon."

She had taken her son and nieces to the store to spend some gift cards, he said.

The woman's husband was not in the store when the shooting occurred but arrived shortly after, Miller said. All of the children were taken to a relative's house.

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;!--iframe--&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; The store closed after the shooting and won't reopen until Wednesday morning, according to Walmart management.

"A very sad incident occurred at our store today involving the death of a female customer," according to a Walmart statement. "We are fully cooperating with the Kootenai County Sheriff's deputies as they investigate this matter."

Video surveillance near the electronics area of the store and witness testimony helped deputies determine that this was an accident. Miller said Veronica Rutledge had a concealed-weapons permit issued in Spokane, Wash.

Idaho recognizes concealed-weapons permits from other states, but people who decide to keep their guns hidden must carry the out-of-state license with them at all times, according to the Idaho Attorney General's Office website.

Unless a private business prohibits weapons on its property, anyone with a concealed-weapons permit can carry a firearm, according to the state Attorney General's Office. Anyone can carry a gun in the state without a permit as long as it's visible.

Idaho lawmakers passed legislation earlier this year allowing concealed weapons on the state's public college and university campuses. Under that law, gun holders are barred from bringing their weapons into dormitories or buildings that hold more than 1,000 people, such as stadiums or concert halls.

About 7% of adults in Idaho — more than 85,500 people — had concealed-weapons permits at the end of 2012, according to data from the Crime Prevention Research Center, a Swarthmore, Pa.-based gun-advocacy group. That ranks Idaho in the top third among states.

Hayden, with about 9,000 residents, is 6 miles north of Coeur d'Alene in Idaho's northern panhandle and about 35 miles northeast of Spokane, Wash.

Contributing: The Associated Press