A 3-year-old girl has been seriously injured after being shot in the head while inside a parked car in Texas, according to reports.
On Tuesday, March 18 at approximately 4:07 p.m. local time, the Greenville Police Department “was notified that a child was being treated at the Hunt County Regional Medical Center for a gunshot wound,” per a press release shared on Facebook.
“When officers arrived on the scene, it was discovered the gunshot wound was reportedly sustained in a parked car that was in the parking lot of the hospital located at 4215 Joe Ramsey Boulevard,” the post added.
The victim was a 3-year-old girl, who is now receiving treatment in the hospital, for her head wound, per NBC News.
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Lieutenant Brandon West said of the incident, according to the outlet, “The mother and the child were in the vehicle and the mother says the gunshot went off.”
“The mother immediately noticed the child had been hit by the round and jumped over the seat and grabbed the child and ran into the hospital with the child,” he added, per NBC News.
The outlet stated that it was a .22 caliber rifle that had gone off, citing police.
“Hearing about a child alone, it’s a tragedy,” West said of the incident in a clip shared by local ABC-affiliated station WFAA.
Greenville Police Department/Facebook
“It strikes home, that hurts,” he added. “Of course, the questions come to mind, ‘Who, what, when, where, how, why? Why did this happen?’ ”
West said that nobody has been arrested yet, per the outlet. The officer added that “the child did not shoot herself.”
“It’s a preventable tragedy,” West told the station, adding, “Anytime firearms are involved, it’s a preventable tragedy.”
Police added in the Facebook post, “It is believed that this was an isolated incident and there are no suspects at large.”
“A 3-year-old doesn’t know what they’re doing with a firearm so firearms have to be kept separate from children and away from them,” West said, as noted by NBC News. “We live in Texas and most everybody has firearms and we have to be responsible firearm owners.”
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Per Giffords Law Center, “Under Texas law, if a child under 17 years of age gains access to a readily dischargeable firearm (i.e., loaded with ammunition, whether or not a round is in the chamber), a person may be criminally liable,” depending on the situation.
West insisted “this investigation is not criminal in nature,” per NBC News.
“The Greenville Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division is investigating this incident, and it is an ongoing investigation,” officers confirmed in the Facebook post. Greenville Police Department is offering gun locks at no cost, per WFAA.
West didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.
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