Indiana 4-year-old, father shot when handgun fires while play wrestling, police say

A gun that discharged while a man and his 4-year-old son were play wrestling Sunday night shot both of them in the head. They are hospitalized, the child in critical condition.

The shooting happened at a residence in the 1200 block of East Zinnia Drive in Monroe County, according to police. When medical personnel and deputies arrived, they found a 36-year-old man and his son had been accidentally shot.

According to a news release from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the father and son were wrestling around on a bed, and the man had a loaded handgun concealed in his clothes in the small of his back.

“The firearm fell from the father’s person and one shot was discharged,” the news release said. “The discharged round struck both the father and the 4-year-old in the head.”

Both shooting victims were transported to IU Health Bloomington Hospital for treatment. The father was flown by medical helicopter to IU Health Methodist in Indianapolis with non-life threatening injuries. The child was taken by helicopter to Riley Hospital for Children and was listed in critical condition Monday morning.

Sheriff Brad Swain said investigators are not naming the individuals yet. He said detectives are investigating the circumstances of the shooting and will release more details later.

Contact Laura Lane at 812-331-4362 or llane@heraldt.com.