NRA: The only way to stop a 3-year-old with a gun is to give her 10-month-old sibling a gun, too idahostatesman.com/2013/04/23/254…
— The Daily Edge (@TheDailyEdge) April 24, 2013
According to Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue, it was more than luck that spared an infant’s life Monday afternoon.
“It was God’s intervention,” Donahue said. “For me, there’s no other way to explain it.”
The injured boy was taken by ambulance to St. Luke’s Boise Medical Center, where he was treated and released.
Donahue said the child was struck with one shot fired by his 3-year-old sister. Sheriff’s deputies are investigating the accident on Middleton Road in rural Canyon County, and released these details:
• The parents’ vehicle was parked outside the family’s home when the mother apparently was preparing the children to go somewhere. Donahue said he does not think the father was home.
• The mother left the children in the car for a matter of seconds, Donahue said. She heard the shot, rushed to the car and called 911 about 4:15.
• The gun belongs to the parents, Donahue said. Investigators are trying to determine where it was when the 3-year-old got to it.
Donahue said it’s too early to tell what, if any, possible charges might be filed.
The sheriff did not release the names of the people involved. The family, Donahue said, is “absolutely very upset.”
Donahue urged gun owners to keep firearms locked in a safe place.
“This was a terrifying event that could have been even more tragic — a 10-month-old or 3-year-old could have lost their lives,” Donahue said. “Unintentional shootings like this one are preventable. It is critical that gun owners be responsible with the storage of their weapons.”
