2-year-old struck in head by stray bullet while playing outside at day care: Police

SHARE NOW

(UTAH) — A 2-year-old was struck in the head by a stray bullet while playing outside at a Utah day care, authorities said.

The incident occurred Monday at a day care in Spanish Fork while several children were playing outside in a vinyl fenced-in area of the facility, according to police.

While playing, one child “appeared to stumble and was seen bleeding from the face,” Spanish Fork Police Lt. Cory Slaymaker said in a statement Tuesday.

Spanish Fork Police Investigating Child Hit By Stray Bullet At Daycare: https://t.co/ns2KpCBceg pic.twitter.com/0ZOnMtZ7xW

— Spanish Fork Police, Fire & EMS (@SpanishForkPDFE) May 23, 2023

The day care notified the parents, who took the child to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. Doctors discovered through scans a “small caliber bullet” lodged in the toddler’s head, Slaymaker said.

The child was transferred to a local children’s hospital for treatment and is currently in stable condition, police said.

It is unclear where the gun was fired from and why. The incident appears to be a “tragic accident” and remains under investigation, Slaymaker said.

“Open fields are directly west of the daycare and it is believed the round may have come from that area,” Slaymaker said.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.