An 11-year-old boy's grandfather says he is blaming himself after the boy shot himself in the face with a gun inside his South Philadelphia house early Thursday.
The child, who was not identified, was inside a second-floor bedroom when he suffered the bullet wound from a revolver in what police have initially described as an accident.
The boy's grandfather told NBC10 the weapon was sitting out in his bedroom and, though he says he has a safety lock for the gun, it was not on.
The boy's sister recalled hearing a loud boom then seeing her brother walking down the steps saying "I'm so sorry, it's my fault."
The boy, who family said was shot in the jaw, is expected to have surgery and survive, though he remained in critical condition.
Four of his siblings, including his sister, were also in the house at the time of the shooting about 12:30 a.m. in the 2600 block of Hicks Street and it is not known where in the house the adults were when the shooting occurred.
The boy was taken to Methodist Hospital and that's when city police were notified of the shooting. He was conscious when police found him at the hospital, which eventually transfered him to Children's Hospital.
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No charges have been issued as the shooting remains under investigation.
