IMPD reports 3-year-old boy shot self in hand at home on south side

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A 3-year-old boy fired a gun and shot himself in the hand on Friday morning, Indianapolis police say.

An Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department report says the shooting happened about 8:15 a.m. Friday at a home in the 1600 block of Blankenship Drive. That’s in the Perry Commons housing subdivision, which is southeast of the intersection of West Southport Road and South Harding Street on the city’s south side.

Police learned of the shooting about 8:30 a.m. Friday after receiving a report of a person shot from Eskenazi Hospital.

Neighbors who recently moved into the subdivision told I-Team 8 they didn’t know the family, but that several children have been seen leaving the home to take a bus to school.

The only adult listed on the police report was a 31-year-old woman whose last name matched the last name of the “Meet the Robinsons” sign leading up to the home’s entry.

IMPD publicly disclosed the child’s age about 11 a.m. Friday.

IMPD Officer William Young with the public affairs division told News 8, “What detectives will do is they’ll follow up at the original scene where this particularly happened at and they will do canvases, search warrants, etc. and speak with the adults inside that particular home.”

Young also cautioned people to practice good gun safety. “What that looks like is maybe locking up your firearm in a safe, using gun locks, or, if you’re thinking of purchasing a firearm, think about doing some firearm training. For that matter, treat every firearm as if it’s loaded.”