4-Year-Old Shoots Self in Chest: Police

Police say the boy's mother kept a loaded gun under her pillow in an upstairs bedroom

Police say a 4-year-old boy has been shot in the chest. The shooting happened around 7 p.m. Saturday on the 6400 block of Cardiff street in Northeast Philadelphia.

Investigators tell NBC10 that the 23-year-old mother had a loaded gun underneath her pillow in an upstairs bedroom. The mother told police she was downstairs and heard the gun go off. The boy had accidentally shot himself in the chest, according to police on the scene.

He is in critical condition at St. Christophers Hospital for Children.

The mother told officers she didn't feel safe in her home. Police say that will be part of their investigation, and it's possible the mother may face charges.

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