RANKIN, Pa. — Nearly a month after a 4-year-old was shot in Rankin, Allegheny County Police have filed charges.
Channel 11 first reported on this incident on June 24, the day after ACPD said the 4-year-old was shot inside a home on Rankin Boulevard and was taken to Children’s Hospital for treatment.
The department now says that around 9:30 p.m. on June 23, a woman called 911 to report her son was attacked by the family dog at the Rankin Boulevard home. He was taken to Children’s with injuries to his wrist and pelvic region.
ACPD’s Homicide Unit was contacted the next morning, after hospital personnel determined the boy’s injuries were not consistent with a dog attack and it appeared he was shot once in the pelvis.
Through witness interviews, detectives say they learned that Ruth Hicks, 42, left a gun in her purse in the living room, where two kids were playing unsupervised. Detectives say following the incident, Hicks told a third child to dispose of evidence, including ammunition and a spent shell casing.
Hicks is facing multiple charges, including endangering the welfare of children, corruption of minors and tampering with physical evidence.
Online court documents indicate Hicks has not yet been taken into custody.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS
©2026 Cox Media Group