SEDGWICK COUNTY—A child was critically injured in an accident Thursday in Wichita.
Just before 6p.m. Thursday, police were called to a report about a 5-year-old child who accidentally shot himself in the face with a flare gun while inside a vehicle, according to police spokesman Andrew Ford.
Other children were inside the car while his mother was outside talking to the child’s grandmother.
Shortly after hearing a loud bang, the mother saw the child exit the vehicle, which had caught fire. The child was hit in the forehead by the flare and suffered a head injury as well as burns.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responded quickly, and the child was taken to the hospital with critical injuries. However, he is expected to survive. Police released no additional details.