SOUTH CHARLESTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Police are investigating after a child was injured Wednesday morning.

The incident occurred minutes before 7 a.m. this morning in the 400 block of Sunset Court. Law enforcement responded to a 911 call about a child being shot.

When Clark County deputies arrived at the scene, they found a four-year-old child with a wound “consistent with abrasions from a firearm round,” according to authorities. It was learned that the child’s condition was not life-threatening and he was taken to nearby hospitals.

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Through investigation, authorities learned that a six-year-old child in the home found the gun in an area deemed safe from unauthorized access. The six-year-old boy found his four-year-old brother and showed him the gun.

When the two children started playing with the gun, the firearm exploded during the game. The bullet grazed the four-year-old boy, struck some blankets and lodged in the carpet of the room they were in.

Detective Lt. Kristopher Shultz with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office advises residents to keep firearms and weapons locked and out of reach of children.

“As law enforcement and public safety personnel, all we want is for everyone to ensure that your firearms are secured in a way that does not allow unauthorized access by anyone you do not know or do not want access to. your firearms or your kids who are naturally into those things,” Shultz said.

So far, no charges have been filed in connection with this incident. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office is continuing the investigation.

Clark County deputies were joined at the scene by South Charleston Police and EMS personnel from the Madison County Fire Department.

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