South Carolina toddler finds loaded gun, accidentally shoots self in head, police say

A South Carolina toddler was critically hurt when he found a gun and shot himself in a Columbia apartment Tuesday, authorities said.

#ColumbiaPDSC A news release about the child injured in yesterdays' shooting at the Colony Apartments will be issued soon. The 3-year-old remains in critical condition at a local hospital but is showing signs of improvement. pic.twitter.com/BZ4rpOASlA
— Columbia Police Dept (@ColumbiaPDSC) March 4, 2020

According to WACH-TV, the shooting occurred about 5 p.m. at a Bailey Street apartment complex. A 3-year-old boy "gained access to a loaded firearm in a bedroom of the apartment, causing the gun to discharge," the Columbia Police Department said in a news release.

Emergency crews rushed the child to the hospital, where he was treated for a gunshot wound to the head, police said. The boy "remains in critical condition but continues to show signs of improvement," according to the news release.

Police said the boy’s mother, a 22-year-old woman, was at home at the time of the shooting.

Authorities have not announced any arrests in connection with the case, but the investigation is ongoing, WACH reported.