On July 1, three children were at a home at 5721 Turkey Tree Lane when one was accidentally shot with a .45-caliber handgun. The incident occurred just before 1 p.m.
The children, 13, 11 and 9, were home alone. Their mother and 18-year-old sister were both at work. Earlier in the day, the mother’s boyfriend brought the handgun into the home.
According to Larry McKinnon, who is with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the mother’s boyfriend put the handgun in the master bedroom. The bedroom was later secured with a padlock on the door.
The three children managed to get into the bedroom by taking the hinges off the door. They practiced target shooting with the handgun in the woods for about 45 minutes, McKinnon said.
They returned the gun, and all three children left the bedroom. A few minutes later, the 11-year-old and 9-year-old returned to the bedroom. It was then that the gun accidentally discharged and hit the 9-year-old in the cheek.
The 9-year-old was transported to a local hospital after the 911 call was made. He was still conscious during the transport to the hospital. Although he has serious injuries, they are not life threatening.
The mother and sister returned home from work after hearing of the incident.
Child Protective Services also responded to the scene of the accident. The other two children were unharmed.
“He is expected to survive,” McKinnon said. “Everyone has been cooperative.”
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com