A 5-year-old boy is expected to recover after being accidentally shot by his father Sunday night while the man was cleaning firearms at their home, authorities said.
Oakley police responded around 9:28 p.m. to the 1700 block of Hemlock Court on an initial report that an adult male had shot himself. While officers were en route, the call was updated to indicate a child had been shot, police said.
On arrival, officers found the boy’s father holding him and applying pressure to a chest wound. Fire personnel and paramedics arrived shortly after, and the child was airlifted to a hospital, where he underwent surgery.
Officials said he is expected to make a full recovery.
Detectives said the father told them he was cleaning his firearms when he retrieved an AR-15-style semi-automatic rifle from a case and accidentally pulled the trigger. The rifle discharged, striking his son in the torso at close range. The father believed the firearm was unloaded.
Investigators obtained a search warrant and removed multiple firearms and other evidence from the home, police added.
Police said there is no indication the shooting was intentional, but the investigation remains ongoing.
The case will be submitted to the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office to determine whether criminal charges are warranted.
Video shows the boy being placed into a helicopter at nearby Crockett Park. A woman was with him.
It is not clear whether she is his mother or someone else.
