HOUSTON—A 4-year-old boy accidentally shot his 1-year-old brother at their home near northeast Houston, according to law enforcement officials.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said deputies responded at about 4 p.m. Tuesday to the home where they determined the child found an unsecured pistol and unintentionally shot his sibling, KTRK-TV reported.
The toddler was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive. A 7-year-old child also inside the home at the time was not hurt, officials said.
The children’s father said the 4-year-old likes to play with toy guns and likely didn’t realize he had found one that could hurt his brother. The father said he wasn’t home when the shooting happened and that the gun belonged to a relative who was staying with them.
Maj. Saul Suarez with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office urged people to be responsible with weapons.
“Make sure that you’re securing them, especially when there’s children in the house,” he said.
It wasn’t clear if anyone would face charges. Under state law, if a child gains access to a loaded firearm in Texas, a person may be criminally liable, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
