2-Year-Old New England Child Shoots Parents With Handgun

A New England couple was injured after their 2-year-old son accidentally shot them with a handgun Wednesday (May 12) morning.

The Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office confirms the mother, 22, experienced a leg would while the father, 25, was shot in the head, while the child was struck in the face by the recoil of the weapon at their West Bath, Maine home, WCVB reports.

The department said the gun was sitting on a night stand when the child picked it up and shot his parents. All three individuals were transported to Mid Coast Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, Sheriff Joel Merry confirmed.

"The question of how the boy was able to pick up and fire the weapon is of great concern and is being investigated," Merry said via WCVB. "This situation, while disturbing, could have had an even more tragic ending. We are thankful that the injuries were not more serious."

The sheriff confirmed that the couple's other child, a 3-week-old baby, is being taken care of by his grandmother, who also lives with the couple but wasn't at home during the time of the incident.

The Sagadahoc County Sheriff's Office has an active and ongoing investigation in relation to the incident in conjunction with the Sagadahoc County District Attorney's Office.

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