A six-year-old boy is recovering from minor injuries after he was shot with a small calibre firearm on a rural property near Beiseker.
The child was accidentally shot on Tuesday and was initially listed in stable condition.
Police say they were made aware of the incident by Calgary EMS and are trying to piece together what happened.
“That’s what’s going to be investigated. What was the nature of the situation? Was there supervision? If it was a firearms incident, was it stored properly? Was it being used properly? Was proper care being given with respect to the firearm?” said RCMP Sgt. Glen Demmon.
Police say the firearm was a .22 calibre long gun and that the child was shot in the arm.
“I believe it was the family’s weapon. My understanding also is that it was registered properly as well,” said Demmon.
Demmon says the incident could have been a lot worse. “Any time a firearm is involved unfortunately it usually results in fatal results, or a lot more serious, so regardless of what the size of the firearm was or the calibre of the round, the child is definitely lucky.”
Police say people need to take care when using firearms and ensure they are stored properly.
“There are regulations in place that, for the most part, refer to safety, safe storage and use of the firearm, we can only emphasize that you have to secure the firearm. Treat every firearm as a potential lethal, that it could result in a lethal circumstance. Secure it. Handle it properly. Handle it the way you’re properly trained. Don’t make assumptions that it is always empty when you’re handling a firearm. Always assume that its loaded. Take those extra steps,” said Demmon.
The little boy is expected to make a full recovery and will likely to be released from hospital on Wednesday.
RCMP is consulting with the Crown Prosecutors office to determine if charges should be laid in the case.
