Early this morning, Miami Police received reports that a 3-year-old had been shot in the head inside his Little River home. Though police have not confirmed the details surrounding the incident, his mother told the Miami Herald that the child was crawling around, found a loaded gun in a drawer, and accidentally shot himself.
The Miami Police Department says it was notified of the incident by Miami-Dade Police at 6:10 this morning, and by that time, the child was already at Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center. The young boy underwent emergency surgery and is listed in critical condition.
The boy's mother, Dorphise Jean, reportedly claimed the boy was looking for an iPad to play with and instead found the loaded gun.
Police, however, were not ready to confirm that version of events, noting they visited the home at 112 NW 71st St. and found evidence of a shooting.
"All we know is we have a child who was shot,” Miami Police Det. Frederica Burden told the Herald. “How or why is being investigated.”
Jean says that she and the boy's father have guns in the home for protection and usually keep them locked up.