Pennsylvania

Boy, 10, Accidentally Shoots Himself in The Face Inside SUV: Police

A 10-year-old boy continues to recover after authorities say he shot himself in the face with his father's gun while sitting inside an SUV in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

The shooting took place in a black SUV parked in an industrial park along the 1400 block of Calcon Hook Road in Sharon Hill, Pennsylvania, around 10:20 p.m. Saturday, police said.

The boy was waiting with his sister in the vehicle, outside an auto repair shop, when he found his father's .357 caliber revolver and it went off, police told NBC10. The father was inside the shop. The mother had just dropped the children off.

Folcroft Police K-9 Officer Eugene Mackey and Sharon Hill Police Patrolman Stephen Mummo were the first two officers to arrive at the scene.

"I went in the garage and found an adult male holding a child in his arms," Mackey said. "I scooped the child up. I ran for one of the police cars and placed him in the backseat. I had officer Mummo from Sharon Hill get in the backseat with the child."

Mummo told NBC10 he knew the boy didn't have much time.

"As soon as I pulled up I observed Officer Mackey with a young boy in his arms," Mummo said. "I just kept referring to him as, 'Kid! Kid! Stay with us! Stay with us!' There was blood on his chest and his head so I immediately started compressions."

Mackey drove to the hospital while Mummo performed CPR on the boy in the backseat.

"We shut down every intersection on the way to the hospital," Mackey said. "So it was a clear shot from the scene right to the hospital. And time was of the essence."

The boy was later transferred to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He was last listed in good condition, police told NBC10. The officers said they were stunned when they learned the bullet had missed the boy's brain.

"The little boy is apparently doing well," Mummo said. "He's awake. To me, it's a miracle he survived something like that happening." 

Mackey said he thought of his own 11-year-old daughter as he rushed to save the boy's life.

"It was unbelievable," Mackey said. "I felt like I could go home, hug my kids and get some rest because it was a stressful night."

Both officers said they would like to meet with the boy once he recovers. Prosecutors are currently deciding whether the boy's father should be charged.

The investigation is ongoing.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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