Hampton PD Correction: Hampton Police issued a correction Wednesday morning that the child injured in the shooting is 1 year old, not 7 months, as they had previously reported.
A 1-year-old child was in the hospital Tuesday after another juvenile accidentally shot them, according to Hampton police.
Around noon, Hampton police found the infant in the 100 block of Clyde Street suffering from a gunshot wound, according to HPD. The infant was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
“Crazy. I mean, it’s just crazy to see," said Samantha Justis, who lives in the 100 block of Clyde Street.
Police say that the juvenile who shot the baby had an "unsecured firearm" and that the shooting was an accident, though they are still investigating the circumstances.
“I have my own children. I have a seven-year-old, so I was glad we weren’t home when it happened," said Justis.
As of Tuesday, police had not said how old the child they say shot the infant is.
"Keep them locked up. Make sure they're on safety, and put them in a safety lock box," Justis said when asked what her advice for parents with young children and guns in their home is.
In October 2023, News 3 talked to a firearms instructor Steven McGary about gun safety when a three-year-old was reported to have been accidentally shot in Norfolk.
“You have to first properly learn about your firearm, learn how to use your firearm, and then pass that knowledge on to your children," McGary said.
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Police later clarified the child had not actually been shot and instead received a cut from the gun when it was fired.
"Everyone should always follow these four fundamental firearm rules. Treat every weapon with the respect that you would do with a loaded gun, so there is no such thing as an unloaded gun," McGary said. "Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot. Keep your weapon pointed in a safe direction at all times, and our number one rule is know what’s beyond your target.“
Using data from the National Violent Death Reporting System, the CDC says more than 1,200 kids ages 0-17 died from an unintentional gun injury between 2003 and 2021. Nearly a third of those deaths were kids 0-5.
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Some people who live in the 100 block of Clyde Street. but didn’t want to talk on camera Tuesday also said the shooting here is crazy, but they also said this is not the first shooting on the street.
Anyone with additional information should contact Hampton Police at 757–727–6111 or submit a tip anonymously to the Crime Line at 1–888-LOCK-U-UP orP3Tips.com. If a Crime Line tip results in an arrest, the caller may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,500.
