A 3-year-old boy shot himself with his father’s gun and the man was arrested on suspicion of child endangerment, police in Southern California said.
The toddler was hospitalized in stable condition after the shooting Friday night in Bakersfield, KBAK-TV reported.
Bakersfield police said officers called to a home for a report of a shooting found that the wounded boy had been taken to the hospital by family members.
Investigators determined the handgun had been left in an easily accessible spot, police said.
The father, who was not identified, could face multiple charges including child endangerment, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and failing to properly secure the gun.
Officials didn’t release details of the boy’s injuries.