A quiet Sunday evening in Ashburn turned tense when a 10-year-old boy apparently shot himself in the hand inside a Southwest Side home, prompting a rush of police and paramedics to the scene.
The incident happened around 6:40 p.m. inside a residence in the 3700 block of West Hayford Street, where officers later recovered a firearm and opened an investigation into how the boy ended up wounded.
Police Details
Chicago police said the child was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and listed in fair condition, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. First responders got the call around 6:40 p.m. Sunday and transported the boy from the home to the nearby hospital.
Officers on scene recovered a gun inside the residence while Area 1 detectives began piecing together what happened, police said.
Where He Was Treated
The boy was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, which Advocate Health lists at 4440 W. 95th Street. Advocate Christ Medical Center, a regional trauma center, handled his care, according to police reports and hospital information.
Investigation
Detectives are still working to determine how the shooting occurred and whether it was accidental, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Authorities have not released the boy’s identity or details about the firearm while the investigation remains active.
State Context On Safe Storage
The incident unfolded a little more than a month after Illinois’ Safe Gun Storage Act took effect on Jan. 1, 2026. The law requires firearms to be secured when a minor or an at-risk person could gain access, according to the Giffords Law Center.
Under the statute, civil penalties can be imposed when unsecured guns are likely to be accessed by minors, part of a broader effort to cut down on unintentional shootings involving children.
