A 4-year-old child accidentally shot and killed his 1-year-old sibling at home in Texas

A young child accidentally shot and killed his 1-year-old sibling at a residence near Houston on Tuesday, authorities said.

According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, the preschooler, who is about 4 years old, “found an unsecured gun at home” and used it to shoot the toddler.

He said Social media reports Tuesday evening said the toddler suffered injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The toddler was apparently shot in the leg, CBS affiliate HOWE reported. Citing comments from Harris County sheriff’s deputies, the station said later Tuesday evening that the toddler had undergone surgery at a hospital and was recovering. The baby is expected to be OK, the station reports.

An investigation is underway into how the child was able to find a loaded gun and fire it. Investigators are also looking into whether adults were in the home with the 4-year-old and toddler at the time of the shooting. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office will work with a grand jury to decide whether charges will be filed in connection with the incident.

As of May 6, there were a minimum of them 113 accidental shelling children in the U.S., resulting in 47 deaths and 68 injuries nationwide, according to the nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety. In 2022, the organization tracked at least 354 unintentional shootings by children that resulted in 157 deaths and 212 injuries. Those numbers are down from last year, when 167 people were killed and another 248 injured in at least 396 accidental gunshots by a child, according to the nonprofit.