Officials: Texas lawman’s 4-year-old stepson shot himself

HOUSTON—Authorities in Southeast Texas are trying to determine if the 4-year-old stepson of a sheriff’s sergeant shot himself in the head with his stepfather’s service weapon.

The Harris County sheriff’s office says the child was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition after the shooting Tuesday.

Spokesman Senior Deputy Thomas Gilliland says a person at the scene said the boy shot himself at a home near Hockley, about 35 miles northwest of Houston.

The sergeant works for the Harris County sheriff’s office, which is conducting internal and criminal investigations.

Gilliland says the sergeant is on family leave. Police said Sunday that a Houston toddler fatally shot himself in the head. San Antonio police reported Wednesday that a toddler was wounded in the abdomen after a handgun accidentally discharged.