HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.com | Section: Local & State
March 14, 2005, 6:54AM
Toddler shot by brother, 4, still in critical condition
By MIKE GLENN
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
A toddler remained in critical condition at the Ben Taub General Hospital on Sunday, a day after he was shot in the head by his 4-year-old brother.
The shooting happened about 4:20 p.m. Saturday at the children's southwest Houston home in the 5600 block of Gatewood near South Post Oak Boulevard.
There were no new developments in the investigation, Houston police homicide detectives said Sunday.
The shooting was sparked by an argument that erupted after the 2-year-old threw a toy at his older brother.
The 4-year-old told police he shot his brother in the head with a .32-caliber semiautomatic pistol he found in his mother's purse.
Child Protective Services caseworkers placed the 4-year-old with his grandmother, pending the outcome of their inquiry.
"Normally, our investigations can take up to 30 days," CPS spokeswoman Estella Olguin said Sunday. "We haven't yet had a chance to see the 2-year-old or talk to their dad to see what he knows about the situation."
Olguin said the boy has been asking for his younger brother. "He probably doesn't realize the consequences of his actions," she said.
Because he is under 10, the boy will not be charged in the shooting.
However, Olguin said he will need counseling in the future. "You can imagine the guilt he's going to feel," she said.
Their mother was in a bedroom when she heard the gunshot. She told police she had the gun to protect her family because of a rash of recent burglaries in the neighborhood.
Police said the case will be referred to the Harris County District Attorney's Office. The children's mother could face criminal charges for making the weapon available to a child, police said.
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