2-year-old boy hospitalized after shooting himself with his father's unsecured gun in Clive, police say

Mike Trautmann | The Des Moines Register

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A 2-year-old boy was taken to Blank Children’s Hospital after he shot himself Sunday morning in the neck and chest with his father’s unsecured handgun, according to Clive police.

The boy, whose name is not being released, was seriously injured. Police Chief Michael Venema said in a release that the boy’s condition wasn’t known.

At 9:34 a.m., Clive Police and Fire responded to the Sterling Inn, 11428 Forest Ave., for a report of a gunshot victim. Emergency workers found the boy with a gunshot wound to the chest and neck, the release stated.

A preliminary investigation indicates that the boy and his family were staying at the inn and the boy’s father left a loaded, unsecured .45-caliber handgun in a piece of luggage, Venema said.

The boy picked up the weapon and pulled the trigger. The bullet entered his upper chest, passed through his neck and is believed to have lodged in a wall.

No names are being released, pending notification of relatives. Clive detectives are performing a follow-up investigation. Any possible charging decisions will be made in consultation with the Polk County attorney’s office, Venema said.

The boy’s father had a valid Iowa permit to carry a handgun.