| Boy dies of gunshot wound |
By: SUZANNE ROOK and JIM HAMMERAND, Staff Writers
|
Posted: Wednesday, August 6, 2008 1:40 am
|
 Email  Print
|
NERSTRAND — A Nerstrand toddler was accidentally shot and killed Tuesday afternoon by his 6-year-old sister while the two were playing with a handgun.
Sheriff Richard Cook said the 3-year-old boy died around 5 p.m. at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale.
The girl, said Sheriff Richard Cook, stood about 20 feet from her brother when the shots were fired, striking him in the right rear of the head.
The two were playing upstairs in their home at 140 Maple St., when they found the gun in their mother and her boyfriend’s bedroom nightstand, Cook said.
The girl told investigators she pulled the trigger of the .357 revolver twice. The first time “nothing happened,” Cook said, though investigators aren’t sure whether there wasn’t a bullet in the chamber or if she didn’t actually pull the trigger all the way.
The children’s mother was downstairs in the home, washing dishes, Cook said. She called 911 at 3:17 p.m.
The gun, Cook said, was loaded and unlocked. It is owned by the mother’s boyfriend, Terrance Kalina, who is also the owner of the home where the incident occurred. He was not at home at the time.
The mother and daughter are “obviously very distraught,” Cook said.
The incident is under investigation, he said, though it’s too early to tell whether criminal charges are warranted.
A North Memorial helicopter met emergency crews at Nerstrand Elementary School at 4:10 p.m.
Cook says the shooting sends a strong message to gun owners to keep their weapons locked and secured whether children live in the home or could be visiting. |
|
|
|
Story Comment Guidelines:
Registered members who identify themselves by name are authorized to automatically post comments to stories. Readers who wish to remain anonymous submit comments to a pending queue, where they will be reviewed for approval within 24 hours of their submission. To determine the author of a comment, click on the user name.
Those who identify themselves will be given broader boundaries to express their opinion. Only those anonymous comments that contribute to the conversation in a thoughtful, respectful, civil manner will be approved. The decision to approve or reject a comment is a subjective one and is ours alone. Authors of rejected comments will receive an email response.
If you would like to report abuse click here to notify us.
|
|
| Show Comments | Hide Comments
|
|
| Login and voice your opinion!
|
|
|
|
Digg
Del.icio.us
Facebook
MySpace
StumbleUpon
Google
Yahoo!
Please everyone keep this boy's family in your prayers...I cannot even fathom what a time this must be for them.