Ind. boy dies after accidental shooting

4-year-old struck while wrestling with his father

A 4-year-old boy died Thursday after he was accidentally struck by a bullet from a gun that discharged while he was wrestling with his father.

Tripp Shaw died at 8:17 a.m. Thursday from head injuries in the shooting last Sunday night at his home south of Bloomington, Indiana, the Monroe County Sheriff ’s Office reported.

The child’s father, Tyler Shaw, 36, was struck in the head with the same bullet that killed his son. Shaw’s injuries were not serious.

Police reported that the two were struck with a bullet from a Glock semiautomatic handgun Tyler Shaw had tucked into his pants when the accident happened about 8 p.m.

Sheriff Brad Swain said the boy’s mother and 2-year-old sister also were in the house. He said the weapon has been sent to be tested for any defects that may have caused it to fire unexpectedly.

“This case remains active by Monroe County Sheriff ’s Office investigators,” according to a news release sent Friday afternoon reporting the child’s death. It was not known whether criminal charges would be filed.

In Indiana, a person can be charged with felony criminal recklessness if he or she “recklessly, knowingly, or intentionally performs an act that creates a substantial risk of bodily injury to another person” while armed with a deadly weapon.