Chicago Sun-Times

POLICE: BABY WAS WOUNDED BY PARENTS STRUGGLING OVER GUN

- BY CARLY BEHM AND DAVID STRUETT CST Wire Reporters

A 1-year-old boy was shot in the head Monday in Uptown while his parents tussled over a gun inside their home and it went off — not by a stray bullet, as his father claimed, Chicago police say.

Detectives determined the parents were struggling over a gun inside their home when it discharged and a bullet ricocheted and struck the 23-month-old boy, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in an interview Tuesday morning.

“The bullet didn’t penetrate the skull,” Guglielmi said. “He’ll be fine.”

One of the parents remained in custody, police said Tuesday afternoon. No charges had been filed.

Police initially responded Monday evening to Leland and Clarendon after the father claimed someone else had shot at them there about 7:40 p.m., but officers couldn’t find a crime scene, Guglielmi said.

“We have many questions about the timeline of events & will seek physical evidence and video to corroborat­e the reports,” Guglielmi said on Twitter shortly after the shooting.

By Tuesday morning, detectives determined that no shooting ever occurred at that location, but that the boy was wounded in a struggle in a home about a half block away, Guglielmi said.

He said a domestic complaint was made against the parents years ago but couldn’t elaborate.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is investigat­ing the incident, spokesman Jassen Strokosch said. DCFS hasn’t had prior contact with the family.

After the shooting, the father brought the boy to Weiss Hospital, where his condition was stabilized, police said. The child was later transferre­d to Lurie Children’s Hospital, where he remains.

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