Boy survives after shooting himself in head

October 1, 2010

A 10-year-old boy is in stable condition Friday after shooting himself in the head.
The boy, whose name was not released, was alone at 4:45 p.m. Thursday at his home on Rifle Range Road near Conover when he found a .32 revolver in a dresser drawer, said Catawba County Chief Deputy Coy Reid.
The gun did not have a lock on it at the time of the incident, and Reid said he didn't know if the gun was loaded when the boy found it.
It is unknown how long the boy had the gun before he shot himself in the head while handling the gun. After he was shot, the boy walked over to the neighbor's house and told the neighbor someone shot him.
"There was some confusion at first," Reid said. "They were just concerned with getting the boy to the hospital."
Reid said the child was "alert and conscious" Thursday evening, but was transported to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem.
Catawba County deputies are investigating to discover who owns the gun, and the owner could face charges.
"We're talking to the District Attorney's Office to see if charges will be filed," Reid said.
Reid said firearms kept in homes with children are required to have a lock on the weapon.