Toddler accidentally shoots 5-month-old baby at home in Florida

Washington, Sep 7 (IANS) A toddler in the US accidentally shot a 5-month-old infant inside a home in Florida.

The incident led to the woman who was caring for the 3-year-old and the infant to be charged with neglect, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the police.

Law enforcement responded to the home, in the city of Tampa, around 1:00 p.m. Saturday, after a call that the infant had been shot, the Tampa Police Department said in a statement.

Paula Concepcion Santos, 25, was taken into custody by police and charged with child neglect, and the infant was transported to the Tampa General Hospital.

Luckily, the infant had non-life-threatening injuries, and was treated as such.

Santos allegedly told the police that the 3-year-old got hold of a firearm and discharged it by accident.

Officers continue to try to piece together how the shooting happened, and have not disclosed the relationship between Santos and the two children. As of Tuesday, Santos was in jail, held on $15,000 bond.

"While we're incredibly thankful this infant was not fatally injured, this should serve as a reminder to every parent or guardian to immediately go and check that their guns are properly secured," according to Tampa Police Chief Mary O'Connor.

"Children should not be able to access firearms, and moreover, guns should always be stored in a locked safe with the ammo stored separately," O'Connor said.