Child accidentally shoots mother with shotgun from backseat of car The child was under 4 years old.

A child sitting in the backseat of a four-door sedan accidentally shot his mother with a shotgun on Wednesday, critically injuring her as she sat in the driver’s seat.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office said it responded to the shooting at about 3:30 p.m. in Norwalk, California, regarding a "rescue responding, assault with a deadly weapon, gunshot victim." The shooting happened just steps from a preschool though it's not known if any of the children were attendees.

Upon their arrival, deputies found the mother suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the torso. She was taken to a local hospital where her condition was upgraded to fair, and she is expected to survive.

There were three children in the backseat, and another woman and young child in the front passenger seat who were not injured, police said.

All of the children were under 4, but it's unclear how old the child was who pulled the trigger, police said.

The sheriff's office said preliminary information showed the woman's three children were in the back seat of the car when one of the children picked up an unsecured shotgun and shot her through the back of the seat.

The weapon was recovered. No arrests have been made.

All four children are currently in the custody of Department of Children and Family Services, authorities said.