Teen shoots himself and 3-year-old in apparent accidental shooting, Wichita police say

Wichita police said a teenage boy shot himself and a 3-year-old Saturday evening in what was apparently an accidental shooting.

Police were called at around 7 p.m. to the shooting at a home in the 4900 block of East Harry, near Oliver, Officer Paul Cruz said in a news release. The 3-year-old boy had already been taken to a hospital in a private vehicle.

Investigators determined the 3-year-old, who had serious but not life-threatening injuries, was shot by the 15-year-old boy. The teenager was “handling a handgun when it went off,” Cruz said. The bullet also struck the teen’s leg.

The case is being investigated as a reckless aggravated battery, Cruz said. It remains under investigation, and will be presented to the Sedgwick County District Attorney for possible criminal charges.

“WPD would like remind citizens it is important to take appropriate precautions to secure firearms,” Cruz said.

This story was originally published January 10, 2021 at 4:44 PM.