Police in Minnesota are investigating after a 2-year-old was wounded by a gunshot allegedly fired by their 4-year-old sibling. Wait, WHAT?!

Yes, unfortunately, you read that correctly. On Sunday in the small southern Minnesota town of Welcome, police were called after a 2-year-old toddler was wounded by a gun fired inside a moving car.

Per KARE 11 News, a 911 call came in at about 10:30 a.m. local time on Sunday from a car traveling in the 1300 block of 130th Avenue in Welcome. The driver explained that the 2-year-old had been shot while the car was in motion, and now they were rushing to a medical center in the nearby town of Fairmont for help.

Before the caller could reach Fairmont — about nine miles from Welcome — Martin County Sheriff’s Department deputies intercepted the vehicle, pulled it over, and began rendering aid to the child. They also called in helicopter assistance, and the toddler was airlifted to the world-renowned Mayo Clinic in Rochester.

After airlifting the child, deputies began investigating at the scene. They quickly learned the person who called in the shooting was a parent of both children, who were siblings. Per multiple reports, deputies believe the gun had been left in the backseat when the children came upon it. They did not reveal whether the gun belonged to the parent involved or someone else, but they (obviously) think the 4-year-old accidentally fired it.

Per MPR News and others, as of Wednesday morning, the status of the child’s condition at the hospital is unclear. That outlet also reports the Martin County Sheriff’s Office is still determining whether to file criminal charges against the parent and/or gun owner in the case. Just awful all around…

If you have sincere cause to suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org.

To learn more about the impact of gun violence, visit https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/gun-violence.

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