“My son just picked up my gun and he shot himself,” a woman who called 911 told a dispatcher at the Montgomery County Regional Dispatch Center.
The caller said the child shot his thigh after picking up the gun from her bed when she was not in the room.
The mother and child left the scene before crews arrived, according to Trotwood police.
The woman drove the boy to Miami Valley Hospital North in Englewood. He was transferred to Dayton Children’s Hospital by ambulance.
Trotwood police are continuing to investigate.
We are working to learn more details about the shooting and will continue to update this story as more information is available.
The department reminded the public to use extra caution whenever children are in a household where firearms are present and offered the following safety tips:
- Store guns unloaded and in a locked location out of reach and sight of children.
- All handguns and firearms should have approved child-resistant gunlocks.
- Store ammunition in a separate, locked location not accessible to children.
- Keep keys and lock combinations hidden and never reveal them in front of children.
- Whenever a gun is not being stored, keep in on your person and in your immediate control.
- If you have armed visitors, give them a locked place to store firearms while in your home.
- Never leave guns on a nightstand, table or other place where small children can reach them.
Trotwood police also encouraged people to talk to their children about how a gun they might see on TV or in video games is different from a gun in real life. Tell children to never touch a gun and to immediately tell another adult if they see one.
Parents also should check with other parents to find out if they have a gun in their home before your children visit. If so, share gun safety tips and practices with them.
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