A tragic accident occurred in Eustis when a 5-year-old boy accidentally shot himself in the head with a firearm. According to WESH, the incident happened as the child was handling the gun, which unexpectedly discharged and resulted in the injury.
The boy's family heard the gunshot and rushed to find him injured before immediately calling for assistance. A neighbor, who works as a trauma flight nurse, was among the first to offer aid, possibly helping to stabilize the boy quickly. The Eustis Police Department, Eustis Fire Department, Lake County Sheriff's Office, and Fire Rescue all rapidly responded to the emergency call.
Following the accident, the boy was airlifted to Arnold Palmer Hospital, where he underwent surgery. He is currently recovering, with the community and the boy's family eagerly waiting for his improvement. "The important thing now is the child, that he recovers from this incident, but we have to look at how this happened and how it could have been maybe prevented, but that's down the road," Capri told WESH. Capri further added, "Now we look in the investigation, see why this happened, how do we prevent this happening?"
Further details about the circumstances leading to the accident are currently under investigation. No charges have been filed, and no arrests have been made at this time, as police do not suspect foul play to be a factor in the incident. "Our prayers are with the boy and his family. We wish him strength and a speedy recovery," Capri said in a statement reported by Inside Lake. The boy's identity has not been released as the investigation remains very active.
