A Baby Shot In The Head Due To Hunting Accident In Pennsylvania; Chances of Blindness
On Sept 25, a newborn baby was shot in the head in Pennsylvania while lying on his father's lap in their Elder Ridge Road home. He was said to be in a critical condition after an incident that allegedly is a freak hunting accident.
According to Yahoo! News, the baby was identified as Thayne Iverson of Indiana County and was just a few days old. At 7 p.m., on Sept 25, a stray bullet struck his head, a spokeswoman for the Indiana County District Attorney's office, Dianna Rostis said. She refused to confirm the baby's or father's name.
She said that it seemed that two men were 'red-tag hunting' for a deer when the bullet entered a window of their house. The investigation is still in process. The bullet just missed the father but seriously wounded the baby. She explained that to protect agriculture, red-tag hunting was allowed for authorised hunters.
The bullet exited from the baby's eye socket. It entered the baby through his head. Media reported that the baby had been blinded though the condition of the baby is still unknown. Rostis added that the child was airlifted to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh where he will be until he becomes better.
No charges had been filed against the hunters. Investigations by the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Pennsylvania State Police are still on. The case was being treated as a criminal investigation, but the police have said that it looks like an accidental shooting incident. The permits and weapons of the hunters were retrieved and had been taken in for examination.
The district attorney, Patrick Dougherty, said that hunting accidents happen yearly in Western Pennsylvania, but it was surreal that the baby was sitting on the couch. He continued that it did not appear to be a penetrating gunshot but taking into account the age of the baby, it was very serious. He also said that he did not believe the father was injured. He added that the hunters were being cooperative during their interview session.
In the United States and Canada, every year, nearly 1,000 people are accidentally shot by hunters, reported the International Hunter Education Association. It was also found by the association that the number of fatalities was below hundred.