Toddler Shot in the Head at North Carolina Church

A pastor's two-year-old son was shot in the head by his three-year-old brother who was wielding their father's gun outside church on Sunday.

Toddler Daniel Vines was rushed to hospital in critical condition after the horror unfolded in the parking lot after an evening service at River Valley Baptist Church in Morganton, North Carolina.

Pastor Adam Vines told local news channel WCCB Charlotte that his three-year-old son—who was not named—found the gun in the side door of the family's van, and said that the weapon was in a holster with the safety on. But the boy somehow managed to accidentally shoot his younger brother, he said. Updated news reports later suggested the child's condition had improved after emergency surgery and he is now said to be stable.

The incident comes amid a spate of gun crime across the nation that has sparked a fierce debate about gun control, leaving politicians struggling to answer how to address the problem, and prompting multiple countries to issue warnings to their citizens considering traveling to the U.S.

The case is not the first time a toddler has shot themselves or others. An almost identical case saw a one-year-old girl shot and killed by her three-year-old sibling, who had managed to get hold of an unsecured gun at their home in California in July. A Michigan toddler was accidentally killed while playing with a gun in June. A three-year-old in Florida died after the boy found a gun in an unlocked toolbox at his home and accidentally shot himself in August last year.

Following the latest incident in North Carolina, Pastor Vines described the injuries his son sustained. News station WSAZ 3 quoted the dad describing the trajectory of the bullet, saying: "It did go in behind his ear, but it went across the corner on the lower side instead of going through the brain. His talking, communications, his moving ability, all of that part is still intact."

Daniel Vines underwent surgery but is now in a stable condition in hospital, according to the news report.

Pastor Vines said he feels God's presence during this tragedy and he asked for people to pray for both his sons, including the one who accidentally almost killed his brother. "He's in shock for the most part," he told WSAZ 3.

Deputies received the call about a gunshot wound at the church shortly before 8:30 p.m. Sunday, according to the Burke County Sheriff's Office. The child was airlifted to Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte for surgery and was initially listed as being in critical condition, the statement added.

Investigators are currently working on the case to determine exactly how the boy's brother was able to access and fire the handgun, according to News 19.

Newsweek has reached out to the Burke County Sheriff's Office by email seeking further information and comment.