Two-year-old boy in critical condition ‘after being shot by his four-year-old cousin’ at Thanksgiving
The parents of the boy, who shot his cousin in the finger and chest, have been charged with child endangerment
A CHILD is fighting for his life in hospital after being shot by his four-year-old cousin in Philadelphia.
The two-year-old boy remains in a critical condition in hospital following the shooting on Thursday.
The parents of the kid who fired the gun have been arrested.
Rachel Santiago and Omar Laboy-Vega, both aged 34, have been charged with endangering the welfare of a child, and the father with illegal possession of a weapon.
Cops said the boy was playing his cousin in the living room when they got hold of a .40 caliber handgun.
The boy, aged four, was handling the gun when it discharged shooting the younger child in the chest and finger.
RELATED STORIES
Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small told : "The mother was preparing Thanksgiving dinner when the two children were playing with the gun."
According to a neighbour Sonia Pizarro, the father ran outside in tears screaming "my baby".
The boy was rushed to Temple University Hospital, and then Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Santiago and Laboy-Vega, who were home at the time of the shooting, have been in custody since Thursday.
It is reported they have three children at the residence, where police recovered two guns.
In an interview with , Inspector Small said: "Our main concern, of course, is for the two-year-old, but also we want to know how this four-year-old was able to get a hold of this gun that was loaded.”
According to , there were 51 shootings involving toddlers in the United States from January 1st to October 20th of this year.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368
