4-Year-Old Boy Accidentally Shoots Pregnant Mother In Face After Finding Loaded Gun In Bedroom

A 4-year-old boy in Washington shot his mother on Saturday after discovering a loaded gun in her bedroom.

According to the Seattle Times, the 27-year-old mother, who is eight months pregnant, was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with life-threatening injuries. However, on Sunday, the hospital stated that her condition had improved and she had been moved to another unnamed facility.

Local media reports indicate that the boy discovered the gun between the mattress and the box spring of the bed where his father had left it on Friday night. King County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Ryan Abbott said that the father had placed the gun there after hearing noises outside the family's home, KIRO TV reports.

Abbott said that the mother and her boyfriend, the child's father, were lying in bed watching television when the boy found the gun and shot his mother.

"He (the child) found a handgun that was unsecured there and he grabbed it, and before anyone knew what happened, heard a pop sound. And the mom was shot on her face area," Abbott said.

Abbott said that the father told police that he had borrowed the gun from a friend or relative. Police ran the gun and found it to be "clean," meaning that it isn't stolen or involved in any crimes, however, the gun is unregistered.

The shooting comes days after another 4-year-old boy accidentally shot his mother while she sat in the driver's seat of her car in California. Three other children were also in the car at the time of the shooting. According to KTLA, Brandon Ambriz, the owner of the gun, has been charged with four counts of child abuse and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. The mother was last listed in stable condition.

The father of the Washington boy could also potentially face criminal charges. According to KIRO, firearms in King County are required by law to be locked away. The sheriff's office will continue to investigate, Abbott said.

"The hope going forward is guns are locked up in people's houses, so something tragic like this doesn't happen. Because now this child is going to be affected forever. And we're hoping and praying the mom is going to be ok in this situation," Abbott said.

Last November, Washington voters approved an initiative that "holds gun owners criminally liable if an unsecured gun is accessed by someone not allowed to have a firearm, like a child, and the gun is discharged," the Times said. However, that law does not go into effect until July 1.