The Martin County Sheriff’s Office said a 2-year-old girl is in critical condition after she was shot in the head with a BB gun Wednesday morning.
The toddler’s family, who is from Okeechobee, was displaced and was staying at a family member's home because of Hurricane Irma.
The child was shot by her toddler brother at about 9:35 a.m. Wednesday at a home in the 3800 block of SE Grant St. near Stuart.
Neighbor Kim Pound was sitting on her porch steps when she heard the screaming.
"I ran over there to see what was going on and by that time she was in the street holding a towel over the baby's head and it was a lot of blood," said Pound.
A Martin County Sheriff's Detective said the victim and her brother were playing in the living room. Adults were nearby, but could not physically see the kids from the kitchen.
"There was a pop and the victim in this case was screaming," said Detective Corporal Brian Broughton, with the Martin County Sheriff's Office.
The BB gun rifle belongs to a 12-year-old who lives in the home. It was apparently pumped and loaded inside a closet near the living room. Detectives believe the victim's 3-year-old brother got to it.
In the 911 call, you can hear the baby screaming and crying while the operator tried to give her family instructions.
"She was crying, but they told her to lay flat on her back and she was wanting to get up," said Pound. "It was just scary cause it was a lot of blood for a BB gun."
The Martin County Sheriff's Office is not filing any charges. Detective Corporal Broughton said the adults were not aware there was a BB gun inside the home and believe this was a tragic accident.
In a quick moment before heading back to the hospital, the baby's father arrived at the home and said right now they are just asking for prayers. He said she has a brain injury and is in critical but stable condition.
The sheriff's office report said the Florida Department of Children & Families has been notified regarding the incident.
