Police: 2-Year-Old Boy Dies After Being Shot In Head
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A young child has died after being shot in the head in the Olney section of Philadelphia on Thursday afternoon.
Homicide detectives are working to figure out exactly what happened inside the home that led to his death. At this point, investigators believe it was accidental.
"Another tragic case of people in this city that have unsecured firearms in the home, and you never know who's coming through or what child might be over or your friends who have kids over, then you have tragedy," said Philadelphia Police Capt. John Ryan.
Police say the 2-year-old boy was struck in the head by a bullet in the basement of a home in the 200 block of West Godfrey Avenue around 2 p.m.
Police say there were several people inside the home at the time of the shooting.
Police say the boy's father rushed him to Einstein Medical Center by private car, where doctors pronounced him dead around 2:30 p.m.
"I'm just heartbroken. I'm really heartbroken about it," said neighbor Tanya Smith.
At the hospital, investigators blocked off the father's vehicle with police tape while distraught relatives could be seen outside the home.
Authorities also transported a man and a woman from the hospital to police headquarters.
Neighbors say no child should be able to get their hands on a weapon.
"Please put the guns down, put them away," said Smith.
Police believe the shooting was an accident, but are continuing to investigate.
Sources say investigators did not recover a weapon from the home.