A 10-month-old infant in Idaho is recovering on Thursday after being shot in the face by its 3-year-old sister.

Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue told KTVB that the mother left the two children in the car while she went into the house to get something at about 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday. While she was in the house, the 3-year-old toddler found a loaded pistol in the car and shot the infant in the left cheek near the mouth.

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“Those kids were in the car, which may not have been bad in itself except there was a loaded firearm in the car and unfortunately, children being children, found access to it and discharged it,” Donahue explained. “The bottom line is the two children were unattended in the car.”

“First and foremost, in a perfect world they wouldn’t be loaded, there would not be bullets inside the gun,” the sheriff added. “The most important thing is gun safety. If you’re going to have a loaded firearm in the car, you’re going to have to have it in a place where no one but yourself or an adult that knows about guns can access it.”

The 10-month-old boy was treated and released after being taken by ambulance to St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center.

No charges had been filed, but an investigation into the shooting was ongoing. Idahoans with the proper permits have the legal right to keep concealed weapons in their vehicles.

Watch this video from KBOI, broadcast April 23, 2013.

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Watch this video from KBTV, broadcast April 23, 2013.