NATCHITOCHES, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Sheriff’s office investigators in Natchitoches Parish are looking into how an 8-year-old got hold of the stolen gun that he used to shoot himself accidentally.
According to the sheriff’s office, deputies and Natchitoches Regional Medical Center EMS were called to the boy’s home near Natchitoches just before 5 p.m. Monday, where they arrived to find he had been shot in the hand.
The boy was taken to a Shreveport hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.
The sheriff’s office says the weapon, a Taurus G2 9mm semi-automatic handgun, was reported stolen in a vehicle burglary to the Natchitoches Police Department in January of 2022.
Deputies say it is unclear at this time how the juvenile gained access to the firearm.
They say a relative was at the home at the time of the accidental shooting. NPSO detectives are still in the process of conducting interviews.
“Don’t leave firearms in your vehicle,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement released on the investigation.”Lock them in secure areas of your home away from children. Use gun locks. Educate your children about the dangers of firearms.”
