A 9-month-old Missouri boy died on Monday after his 5-year-old brother accidentally shot him in the head with a revolver inside their home, police said.
The infant’s mother called the Nodaway County Sheriff’s Office at 9 a.m. local time on Monday to request an ambulance at her home in Elmo, located in the northwestern corner of the state. She told officials that her 5-year-old son shot her baby in the head with a paintball gun, according to the sheriff’s office. But when law enforcement and medical personnel arrived, they discovered the child had used a .22-caliber Magnum revolver — not a paintball gun — as first reported by the mother. The sheriff’s office identified her as Alexis Wiederholt.
The infant was pronounced dead at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City before noon on Monday, according to the sheriff’s office. The younger child had been in a playpen inside a bedroom when his brother reportedly found the loaded firearm in their home.
Nodaway County authorities believe the shooting was accidental, and don’t suspect foul play. A police investigation is ongoing as officials work to determine the owner of the gun.
Nodaway County Prosecuting Attorney Robert Rice is expected to review the results of the investigation before he decides whether or not to press charges, according to his office. He didn’t immediately respond to msnbc’s request for comment.
Michele Richinick