PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A child accidentally fired a gun inside a North Philadelphia home Monday night, striking a toddler in the shoulder, police said.
It happened after 8 p.m. in a home near 21st and West Norris streets.
Police said a 2-year-old was brought to the hospital by private vehicle with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. He is listed in stable condition.
At the hospital, officials said the boy's mother, 30-year-old Regine Prentice, wouldn't tell police much about what happened.
But according to investigators, another child accidentally fired the gun.
Prentice was arrested and charged with endangering the welfare of a child.
Adam Garber, executive director of gun violence advocacy group CeaseFirePA, said this and many other tragedies could have been prevented if gun owners used gun locks or safes to store their weapons.
"Those types of actions make sure that what is a curious child that doesn't understand at that age the ramifications of firing a weapon or that it's likely to cause this kind of injury doesn't stumble into this kind of danger," he said. "That child and the family are still going to be scarred for life and living with the consequences of this."
Gun locks can be obtained for free from Temple University, or in person at the office of the Philadelphia Sheriff's Department.
