OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The Oklahoma City Police Department is releasing new information about a child accidentally shot in southwest Oklahoma City.

Around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, investigators say they were called to a home near S.W. 89th and May Ave.

That’s where police say a child accidentally shot another child.    

“When officers arrived, they spoke to a female there,” said Gary Knight with the Oklahoma City Police Department. “An adult female indicated that she had gone to the store [and ] came back. She kept a firearm in her purse.” 

Knight told KFOR the woman told investigators she was unloading groceries when the shooting happened.

“One of the children found the gun in the purse, accidentally fired the gun toward another child, striking that child in the face,” said Knight. 

Fortunately, the child did not die but had severe injuries.

“We were looking for it to be on the news, and I was like, oh, my gosh, it was a child,” said Twana Brinlee. “We were in shock.” 

Although the child is expected to survive, Knight said the warning remains: keep your guns somewhere safe.

“People need to be careful of how firearms are kept in their homes,” said Knight. “In this case, it took a child just a couple of seconds to see the gun and pick it up and point at another child and fire it, not realizing what would happen.” 

Senator Mary Boren, an Oklahoma lawmaker, filed legislation that she hoped would improve gun safety in the Sooner State during 2022’s legislative session. 

Senate Bill 1294 stated that it is negligent if a firearm owner leaves a gun unsecured and accessible for a child to take, obtain, or possess. However, it was never heard by the Public Safety Committee.