A 2-year-old was hospitalized after being shot in the Grove Park neighborhood of northwest Atlanta on Wednesday evening, according to police.
Atlanta officers were called to Atlanta Fire Station 22 on Hollywood Road, where a mother had taken the child for help, police said in a statement. The toddler was described as alert before being taken to a hospital, and an update on their condition was not provided Thursday.
The preliminary investigation indicates the shooting, which took place in the 1800 block of Newman Place, may have been self-inflicted after the child accidentally fired the gun.
No other details were released about the case. Police did not say if any adults will face charges.
Under Georgia law, parents or caretakers can be charged with second-degree cruelty to children if the investigation can prove criminal negligence. That is, whether an adult was aware or should have been aware of the presence of a gun and did nothing to keep it out of the reach of children.
Officials have repeatedly asked that gun owners secure their firearms. And earlier this year, Atlanta police pledged to hold gun owners or guardians responsible when children are accidentally shot, regardless of who pulled the trigger.
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