WATERTOWN, Conn — A 14-year-old boy accidentally shot himself Saturday with an unsecured gun in Watertown, according to police.
Officers were called to a home on Hadley Street just after 12:30 p.m. on the report of a teen who fell down the stairs and was bleeding from the head. Police said the call was placed by the teen's grandmother, who had just gotten home. Before she arrived, the teen was home alone.
When police got to the home, they found the teen on the first floor, bleeding heavily from an injury to his head. Officials said he was conscious but incoherent. The Watertown Fire Department immediately gave him medical aid.
Investigators followed the blood trail up the stairs and into a bedroom used by adult members of his family. Inside the room, officers found a "significant amount of blood" and an empty holster for a revolver, according to officials.
Watertown officials said the initial investigation indicated the teen had accessed an unsecured .22 revolver inside the home when he was alone. Officials said that the teen began to play with the gun, which accidentally discharged and struck the boy in the head.
The teen was taken to Waterbury Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. Later, he was flown via Lifestar to Connecticut Children's Medical Center, where his condition remains unchanged, police said.
Officials stated that as investigators searched the home with a warrant, they found 23 guns, many of which were reported as unsecured.
Police said that the investigation into the incident is ongoing with the Watertown Police Department in collaboration with the Department of Children and Families and the Waterbury States Attorney's Office.
"The Watertown/Oakville community is heartbroken by this preventable tragedy," the Watertown Police Department said in a release. "We are praying for a speedy, full recovery for our young resident. Our message to every gun owner is this: Secure your firearms in accordance with the law. That means in a locked container where any person not eligible to possess that firearm cannot access it."
The state has passed what has been called "Ethan's Law," which requires gun owners to secure both loaded and unloaded guns. The law would also raise the age from 16 to 18, for which an adult would be required to secure a gun if they are living with a minor.
“I am now left with a life sentence and my child is serving a death sentence," Ethan's mother, Kristin Song, told FOX61. "If you are going to bring deadly items into the home, it is your job to make sure that those items are secure.”
Earlier this year, lawmakers further expanded Connecticut's safe storage laws "to require people to safely store their weapon regardless of who’s in the home," said Jeremy Stein, the executive director of CT Against Gun Violence.
“It’s the exact kind of thing that we need because we do know that statistically safe storage saves lives," said state Rep. Eleni Kavros Degraw, D-Avon.
Watertown Police, meanwhile, say they are still gathering information and working with the Department of Children and Families and the State’s Attorney to determine possible charges.
"Our message to every gun owner is this: secure your firearms in accordance with the law." Chief Joshua Bernegger added
Jennifer Glatz is a digital content producer at FOX61 News. She can be reached at jglatz@fox61.com.
Doug Stewart is a Senior Digital Content Producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
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