BELLEVUE, Wis. — Authorities say a 2-year-old Bellevue boy who got a hold of a gun and shot himself in the leg is “extremely fortunate” the incident didn’t turn out much worse.
The Brown County Sheriff’s Office says the bullet went through the boy’s leg in the knee area and then grazed his chest. Authorities say that had the angle of the shot been slightly different, it could have been fatal.
The bullet also missed the boy’s knee joint, and he won’t need surgery.
Authorities didn’t immediately decide on any charges in the Monday incident. Investigators confirmed the weapon was legally purchased and owned.
The firearm will be examined by the Wisconsin State Crime Lab, the Sheriff's Office says, to determine what force is required to pull the trigger on that firearm and whether the safety features of the firearm are working properly.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
