Philly Toddler Critically Wounded in Accidental Shooting on Thanksgiving

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iStock/Thinkstock(PHILADELPHIA) — A 2-year-old boy in Philadelphia is in critical condition after his 4-year-old cousin accidentally shot him on Thanksgiving, police said.

The children appear to have been playing with a gun at the 2-year-old’s home in the 3500 block of North 9th Street on Thursday at about 4:23 p.m., police said. The 4-year-old boy was handling the gun when the weapon discharged, shooting his younger cousin in the chest. The victim’s mother and her boyfriend were home at the time of the incident, according to police.

The wounded 2-year-old was rushed to Temple University Hospital and then transferred to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in critical condition, police said. Authorities are not releasing the names of the boys due to their ages.

The victim’s mother and her boyfriend have been arrested in connection with the accidental shooting, according to ABC’s Philadelphia station WPVI-TV.

The mother has been charged with child endangerment, and her boyfriend has been charged with firearms violation, WPVI reported. The names of the two adults have not been released.

The Philadelphia Police Department could not immediately confirm the reported arrests and charges to ABC News on Friday.

Toddler shootings aren’t a rare occurrence. According to The Washington Post, there have been 51 shootings involving toddlers in the United States from Jan. 1 to Oct. 20. In 2015, there were 58 shootings committed by toddlers in the country, an analysis by the newspaper found.

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