Toddler Shot by 5-Year-Old Boy in Colorado

A 3-year-old girl from Colorado is in critical condition after a 5-year-old boy shot her with a gun that was left unattended by the mother’s boyfriend, say Pueblo police.

According to a police statement, the handgun was found by a 9-year-old boy in a home outside of Colorado Springs on Monday. Police say he then gave it to the 5-year-old boy in the backyard, who proceeded to point it at the girl and pull the trigger.

Police asked the 9-year-old boy learned how he learned to “manipulate” the gun, and he apparently told them he “learned it from video games like Black Ops.” The boyfriend of the victim’s mother, 22-year-old Adrian Chavez, fled the scene after the incident but was later taken into custody.

The girl was shot once and the bullet entered and exited her body without breaking any bones. As of Monday afternoon, she was listed in critical but stable condition.

The two boys will not be charged because of their age. However, Chavez will be charged with child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury.