9-Year-Old Grays Ferry Boy Accidentally Shot Himself

Photo by iStock.com/Rex Wholster

A bad situation could have easily ended in tragedy in Grays Ferry on Thursday, when a 9-year-old boy accidentally shot himself inside his family’s house.

The shooting occurred just before 10 p.m. on 32nd Street near Tasker. Police said the boy, whose name has not been released, found a handgun behind his parents’ bed.

The weapon discharged once while the boy was playing with it, striking him in his left ring finger. He was treated at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and released.

Police said the firearm was legally owned. No charges have been filed, but the incident is still under investigation.

“The fact that a 9-year-old boy was able to get hold of a loaded semiautomatic weapon just goes to show that there wasn’t safety used at this house to keep the weapon out of the reach of the child,” Chief Inspector Scott Small told NBC10.

The shooting comes a little more than a week after City Council held a day-long hearing on addressing youth gun violence in Philadelphia.

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