A four-year-old girl from Dyersburg is in critical condition after what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
According to the report, the incident occurred on Sunday night as Dyersburg police officers responded to a shooting of a child just prior to 10 p.m. Upon arrival, officers found no one at home. Officers entered and found blood inside the home. After clearing the resident, one of the tenants returned.
The tenant told officers he had been asleep when his girlfriend woke him and asked about their daughter. The man stated he checked on his daughter and saw her on the couch but could not wake her. He then called for an ambulance and police before transporting his daughter to the hospital on his own.
The man admitted that he left a handgun unsecured in the living room prior to going to sleep.
Dyersburg Police Chief Thomas Langford stated “This is a terrible situation. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the child and her parents. It underscores the necessity to keep all firearms secured and out of the reach of children.”
This incident is currently under investigation.