A young child was airlifted to the hospital after he accidentally shot himself in the head in Homestead on Sunday, according to police.
Officers responded to the scene along Southeast 13th Street, inside a gated community The Shores, after receiving reports of a child shot in the head.
An investigation revealed that a 12-year-old boy somehow got a firearm and accidentally shot himself, according to Homestead Police.
The child was airlifted to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition, police said.
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Police confirmed on Monday that the child is expected to recover from his injuries. Police also said no charges are pending for anyone involved in the incident, but that detectives are continuing to investigate the circumstances.
The accidental shooting came a day before Everytown – an advocacy group for firearm safety – released its alarming data about unintentional shootings by children.
According to Everytown, at least 157 people were killed and 270 were injured in 2023 in unintentional shootings by children, making last year the worst on record.
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The group found that the children who pull the trigger are mostly teens between 14 and 17 years old or children 5 and under — roughly half of the incidents involved children who shot themselves. Most of the incidents happen when a loaded firearm is left unsecured and within reach of a child.
