Baby shot by air rifle has pellet in his brain

A BABY boy was in a critical condition last night after being hit in the head by an air rifle pellet.

The 18-month-old, named as Harry Studley, was reportedly shot in the back of the head while his mother visited friends. It is thought he may have been shot twice.

Doctors fear he may have suffered brain damage and family friends say he has been placed in a coma.

The incident happened at around 4pm on Friday at a block of flats in the Hartcliffe area of Bristol.

A family friend said: “We are all devastated. They are a lovely family. I have known Amy [his mother] since she was a baby and Harry was a lovely little boy.

“The nan told me that Amy and her partner went round for tea at their friend’s house.” She said that at some point during the visit a shot was fired which struck Harry. “They said that the gun went off, the pellet then hit the window and went back into the boy’s head.

“It embedded in his brain next to his main artery and [doctors] couldn’t remove it.” The baby was rushed to Bristol Children’s Hospital where it is believed all other operations were cancelled in order to treat him.

His parents, Amy Allen and Edward Studley, said: “We very much appreciate the help and support of our family, friends and local community at this very difficult time. We are concentrating our focus on our son Harry’s recovery and would appreciate if we could have our privacy respected in order to allow us to do so.”

A man and woman in their 20s, not related to the family, have been arrested in connection with potential negligence in the incident.

Det Insp Jonathan Deane said: “We believe the child received the severe injury from one pellet discharged from an air weapon. Our focus is very much on unravelling the full circumstances leading up to this tragedy.”