LA HABRA HEIGHTS : Boy, 11, Accidentally Shoots 2-Year-Old Stepsister in Head
An 11-year-old boy accidentally shot his 2-year-old stepsister in the head with a handgun he found at their La Habra Heights home Wednesday, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.
Samantha Schilling was in critical condition after undergoing about two hours of surgery at Childrens Hospital in Los Angeles, hospital spokeswoman Maria Iacobo said.
Deputies said the girl was shot about 7:30 a.m. after her stepbrother found a large-caliber handgun in a pouch under the bed in their parents’ bedroom.
The gun was unloaded but some bullets were lying near it, deputies said. The boy, who was not identified, loaded one bullet into the gun and told his stepsister: “Don’t ever play with this” when the gun discharged, said Deputy Gabe Ramirez. The boy later dialed 911 for help.
Iacobo said the girl was in a coma when she was airlifted to the hospital but woke up after surgery.
Sheriff’s Department spokesman Mark Bailey said he did not know whether investigators will seek charges against the parents for allowing firearms to be accessible to children.
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