Fort Lauderdale Police: Child Finds Gun In Vehicle, Accidentally Shoots Mom
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A woman is hospitalized after Fort Lauderdale police say she was accidentally shot by her 3-year-old son.
It happened in a corner of the Walmart shopping plaza off West Broward Boulevard Thursday afternoon.
Chopper4 images showed a distraught father with two children next to a grey SUV.
"He looked really disturbed. Looked like he was crying, things like that," said witness Ajeet Lampkins.
According to Fort Lauderdale police, the father had placed his handgun, which was lawfully owned and carried, under the seat before entering a bank to cash a check.
Police said boy got out of his car seat and grabbed the gun, which accidentally discharged, striking mom.
A man working in the plaza heard a disturbance and says he found the woman lying on her back next to the car.
"Allegedly, her husband was cashing a check (in the Wells Fargo) he hears the commotion and came running. It was a gunshot to the leg," the man said he was told by police.
The mother was taken to Broward Health Medical Center for treatment, but is expected to be OK.
The car was towed from the plaza and the gun is now in evidence.
It's unclear whether Child Protective Services is involved.