NORTH PORT, Fla. — North Port Police are investigating after a child shot her grandmother in the back inside a moving car on Thursday afternoon.
Officers were called to the 4200 block of Tollefson Avenue where they found a 57-year-old woman who reported that her 6-year-old granddaughter got ahold of a firearm in the backseat of the vehicle and accidentally fired a single shot through the driver seat, striking her in the lower back.
“This is an unfortunate example of the importance of gun safety. Please take appropriate measures to make sure children cannot access firearms. This could have been much worse, not only for the grandmother but for the child. Thankfully, it appears that everyone is going to be okay,” says North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison.
Police say the weapon was originally located in a holster, tucked in the back pocket of the driver seat, beneath a seat cover.
The grandmother was able to drive home and get help after calling 911.
Police say the grandmother was airlifted to Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Sarasota.
Detectives investigated it and determined it to be an accident.
