A 2-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed his mother after he reached into her purse at a North Idaho Wal-Mart and her concealed gun fired, authorities told the Associated Press. The victim was identified as Veronica Rutledge of Blackfoot, Id. She was shopping with family members, said Lt. Stu Miller of the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office. The 2-year-old was riding in a shopping cart, pulled the small-caliber handgun from her purse and shot her, he said.
Rutledge, who had a concealed weapons permit, took the children to Wal-Mart so they could spend gift cards received for the holidays. There do not appear to be reliable national statistics about the number of accidental fatalities involving children handling guns. In neighboring Washington state, a 3-year-old boy was seriously injured in November when he was accidentally shot in the face by a 4-year-old neighbor.