PAGEDALE, Mo. — Two little boys are in the hospital after an accidental shooting.
It happened Monday night at a home in Pagedale. Police said a father left a loaded gun inside a backpack inside his room. The father left the home, leaving a 16-year-old to watch his five siblings.
A 2-year-old boy found the gun. Police said the parents said the boy shot himself in the arm, and then the bullet hit his 7-year-old brother, fracturing his skull. Police said the boys are expected to be OK.
“All I can do is pray and hope that they recover and come through and pull through with everything,” said Varnell Macon, who lives nearby.
Police said there was a trigger lock inside the backpack, near the gun, but not attached to it.
“It breaks my heart,” said Andrea Bauman, a volunteer with Lock It for Love, a local organization that gives out free gun locks at community events. So far, volunteers have distributed 1300 gun locks.
“I think people want easy access and I get that, but if you use these gun locks and get comfortable with them, it's pretty fast,” Bauman said.
Pagedale Police are still investigating, and it’s not clear whether the parents will face any charges.
If you would like a free gun lock, contact your local police department. Or contact Lock It for Love online.
