Authorities in Utah are investigating how a 2-year-old child at a daycare was hit in the head by an apparent stray bullet Monday.
The incident occurred at a daycare in Spanish Fork, about 50 miles south of Salt Lake City.
Detectives learned that children were playing in a vinyl fenced area which was staffed by two adults. That’s when a child appeared to stumble and was seen bleeding from the face, police said.
“The daycare notified the parents of the 2 year old child who responded and took their child to the hospital for treatment. It was not until at the hospital that doctors discovered through scans that the child had a small caliber bullet lodged in its head,” police said.
The child, who was transferred to Primary Children’s Hospital, was in stable condition, police said.
The incident, police said, appeared to be a “tragic accident.”
“Open fields are directly west of the daycare and it is believed the round may have come from that area,” police said.
Police were not immediately reached for comment Wednesday. NBC News affiliate KSL of Salt Lake City reported the incident occurred at the Lead Ahead Daycare and the child wounded is a boy.
Lane Mugleston, who owns the daycare, told the news outlet he was shocked by the apparent errant shooting: “We are absolutely surprised. We are dumbfounded that this would happen in Spanish Fork.”
KSL also reported that on Wednesday, detectives said they had identified a man who was shooting birds with a .22-caliber air rifle in the open fields that are west of the day care. That man is cooperating, police said, as their investigation continues and the case will be sent to the Spanish Fork city prosecutor’s office for review of any charges.
The man who was shooting at birds will not be named unless charges are filed, the news outlet reported.
Doctors treating the boy have decided to leave the bullet in the boy’s head for fear of causing further damage if the boy undergoes surgery to remove it, KSL reported.
The boy is expected to make a full recovery, Mugleston told the news outlet.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
