5 Year Old Boy Injured In Accidental Shooting

On Thursday October 29, 2020 at 4:36pm Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a local hospital to investigated a 5 year old boy being treated for a gunshot wound.  The incident was originally reported to the Birmingham Police department who began the investigation and later notified the Sheriff’s Office.  The boys father said that the child had been left in a vehicle parked in the parking lot of the apartments at 3228 Westbrook Drive Birmingham, Al.  The child’s father said that he left the child in the vehicle while he briefly went back inside.  The father reported that when he returned he found the child covered in blood and drove him to the hospital.  After investigation, Sheriff’s Detectives believe that the child’s father had a small caliber pistol under the drivers seat that had slid to the back seat where the child found it and shot himself.  The boy’s father said that he initially gave another version of what happened because he did not have a permit for the pistol.  The child was treated for minor injuries and released from the hospital.  The Department of Human Resources was contacted to do follow-up on the welfare of the child.