Rankin mom facing charges after 4-year-old son shot with gun left in purse

A mother is facing charges after police said that her 4-year-old son was shot by a gun she left in her purse last month in Rankin Borough. 

Allegheny County Police said that Ruth Hicks, 42, has been charged in connection with an incident last month when a child was discovered to have been shot after first responders initially were told the boy had been bitten by a dog.

Police said that the child was taken to UPMC Children's Hospital treatment of injuries to his wrist and pelvic region when medical personnel determined the injuries were from a gunshot wound, not a dog attack. 

Through witness interviews, police said they were able to learn that Hicks had left a gun in her purse in the living room of her home along Rankin Boulevard and that two were children were left unsupervised.

Police said that after the child was shot, Hicks instructed a third child, identified in court paperwork as her 17-year-old daughter, to hide the evidence of the shooting.

The charges Hicks is facing include endangering the welfare of children, corruption of minors, and tampering with evidence, police said.

According to online court records, Hicks is awaiting arraignment on the charges she's facing.