5-year-old boy accidentally shoots himself in head at Florida home, police say
By David Jones
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EUSTIS, Florida (WESH) — A young boy in Eustis accidentally shot himself in the head on Sunday after getting hold of a gun, according to the Eustis Police Department.
The incident occurred when the 5-year-old boy was handling the firearm, which discharged and struck him in the head, Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri said.
His family heard the gunshot, rushed to the scene, and immediately called for help, Capri said.
Their immediate neighbor, a trauma flight nurse, quickly intervened to assist the boy, EPD said.
The boy was shot above his left eye.
Emergency responders from EPD, Eustis Fire Department, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, and Fire Rescue arrived at the neighborhood to provide aid.
The boy was airlifted to Arnold Palmer Hospital, went into surgery, and is recovering, Capri said. He emphasized the importance of safe gun ownership, hoping the incident serves as a reminder.
“The important thing now is the child, that he recovers from this incident, but we have to look at how this happened and how it could have been maybe prevented, but that’s down the road,” Capri said. “The most important thing right now is the child, and we need prayers from everybody for this young child.”
Capri said the quick response from the boy’s neighbor, as well as police and fire, likely saved the boy’s life.
“A 5-year-old kid with a loaded firearm, shot in the head, when you hear that, it makes your heart stop,” Capri said.
“Now we look in the investigation, see why this happened, how do we prevent this happening?”
No charges have been filed, no arrests have been made and police do not suspect foul play to be involved.
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