North Texas toddler injured in accidental shooting in family’s car, police say
The parents of a North Texas toddler who was injured in a shooting over the weekend won’t face charges, police said.
Fort Worth police were dispatched to Cook Children’s Medical Center in the early morning hours of June 21 regarding a 2-year-old with a gunshot wound, according to the 911 call sheet. The incident occurred about 10 p.m. the previous night in Crowley.
According to the Crowley Police Department report, officers from that city were already investigating the shooting. The victim’s father told them the family was getting ready to go out for pizza. The 2-year-old was left alone in the car for a short time while the parents locked the apartment and made sure they had what they needed.
The father was securing the front door when he heard a popping sound. He suspected it was a gunshot and ran to check the car. He found the toddler on the center console with a gunshot wound, the report states.
Police found a 9mm casing and a bullet hole in the driver’s seat of the car. The gun itself weighed less than 2 pounds and the trigger around 3 pounds, according to the report. It had been stored in a holster in a secured area of the vehicle, in accordance with Texas law. The father told police the handgun was inside the center console and not in plain sight.
The father’s account of events was consistent with what he told Child Protective Services and hospital staff and also matched what police found in the vehicle. Investigators believe it’s plausible the shooting “was an accidental/non-intentional discharge of a firearm by a (child) who did not know/understand the capabilities of a firearm and/or what a firearm is,” the report states.
The father initially drove the child to Texas Health Huguley Hospital in Burleson for treatment. He was involved in a crash on his way to the hospital. The father didn’t stop, according to the report, but reported the accident to an off-duty officer when he arrived at Texas Health Huguley.
The injured toddler was later transferred to Cook Children’s. Crowley police instructed the hospital to go ahead with the treatment without doing a gunshot residue test, according to the report. Investigators called the shooting “a tragic accident.”
“The (gunshot wound) is not being disputed and the incident is not being pursued as a criminal offense at this time,” the report states.
The extent of the child’s injuries isn’t clear.
This story was originally published June 26, 2025 at 12:23 PM.
