OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. \u2014 A 3-year-old Osceola County boy is recovering at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando after he was shot in the chest. The toddler got his hands on a gun inside a home on Amber Way in Poinciana on Thursday afternoon and pulled the trigger. He was airlifted to the hospital in serious condition.<\/p>\n
Today, during a news conference, Osceola County Sheriff Chris Blackmon announced the boy is expected to survive.<\/p>\n
Blackmon said, \u201cThe child unintentionally shot himself once in the chest. By the mere grace of God, he\u2019s not severely injured.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the bullet went through the child\u2019s chest and out his back, but it didn\u2019t do much internal damage. <\/p>\n
Next door neighbor Sebastian Ruiz said he didn\u2019t even hear the shot. \u201cWe just saw, like, a bunch of cops over here. At the moment, we didn\u2019t know what happened,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He later learned the boy had been wounded.<\/p>\n
There are still questions about why the gun was left unsecured and how it ended up in the boy\u2019s hands. Under state law, guns should be stored in a safe place, and the Osceola County Sheriff\u2019s Office encourages people to use gun locks. Leaving a gun for a child to access is a misdemeanor, and charges could be upgraded to a felony depending on circumstances and how badly the child is hurt if the gun is fired.<\/p>\n
WFTV Reporter Jeff Deal asked, \u201cWho does own the gun, and do you expect them to be charged in the case at this point?\u201d<\/p>\n
The sheriff answered, \u201cWe\u2019re looking into it. There are potentially investigations continuing. We\u2019re working with the family. There may be some charges coming out of this.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Sheriff Blackmon said the family is cooperating, and neighbors told Channel 9 they are hoping to see the boy home soon.<\/p>\n
Sebastian Ruiz said, \u201cHopefully, he recovers soon, and he comes back home safe.\u201d<\/p>\n
Neighbors told us a little girl also lived in the home, and the sheriff\u2019s office confirmed that other kids and adults were there at the time. So far, investigators have not said who owns the gun.<\/p>\n
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