Fatima Hussein

IndyStar

A 4-year-old child shot herself and her mother in the head Sunday morning on the city's north side.

A spokesman for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department told IndyStar that the child accidentally shot herself and her mother when she grabbed a gun from the nightstand and shot herself in the cheek.

"When officers arrived, they came into contact with the father of the 4-year-old who stated that he and his fiancé were asleep when he was awakened by the sound of the gunshot," according to an IMPD news release.

"He stated that his daughter shot herself in the face, and it is believed that same bullet struck his fiancé in the back of the head."

The shooting occurred in the 1600 block of East 44th Street just after 8 a.m. There were no fatal injuries.

The father stated that his 2-year-old son was also in the room, but he was not hurt. There were other children in the residence but they were not harmed.

"Detectives are processing the scene and conducting an investigation into the circumstances that led up to the shooting," the release states. "Investigators have notified (Indiana) Child Protective Services for a separate investigation and the other children were released to the father."

The 4-year-old child was transported to Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health and was in stable condition.

The mother was undergoing surgery at IU Health Methodist Hospital but was conscious and alert when she left the scene.

Safety tips

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department offers these safety tips for gun owners to ensure a safe environment with guns and kids:



• Take the ammunition out of the gun.

• Lock the gun and keep it out of reach of kids. Hiding the gun is not enough.

• Lock the ammunition and store it apart from the gun.

• Store the keys for the gun and the ammunition in a different area from where you store household keys. Keep the keys out of reach of children.

Call IndyStar reporter Fatima Hussein at (317) 444-6209. Follow her on Twitter: @fatimathefatima.





