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4-year-old girl in critical condition, shot by 2-year-old brother in Lebanon

LEBANON, Ind. (WISH) – A 4-year-old girl is in the hospital after her younger brother shot her in the head Thursday morning. 

It happened around 10 a.m. at the children’s grandparents’ home on the 300 block of North Park Street.

Medics rushed the girl to Riley Children’s Health hospital. She was in critical condition late Thursday afternoon. Police said the girl underwent surgery. 

Police surrounded the home with crime tape and set an evidence marker on the porch. 

“I came outside, and there was a child laying on the cement steps,” neighbor Paula Harvey said.

Harvey lives in another unit in the same building where the shooting happened. She said she often sees the children involved in the shooting playing nearby and their grandmother sometimes watches them during the day. 

“They’re very good people,” Harvey said. “I’d say ‘hi’ to them when they were outside and watch them play. They were very good kids. They minded their grandmother.”

Investigators carried bags out of the home Thursday. Officers said the shooting happened in the upstairs area of the building. 

Firefighters used a hose to wash blood off the sidewalk and porch. 

“Kids get into things,” Harvey said. “They don’t know what they are.”

“I can’t stress how important it is to make sure, if you own a firearm, that it is safe at all times,” Lebanon police officer Justin Fuston said.

Local gun stores sell safes and locks for all guns, and Lebanon police said they give gunlocks to citizens for free. Firearms safety classes also cover the best ways to lock up your weapon.  

“They’re our neighbors. They’re in our community,” Harvey said. “I will pray for them.”

Police have not said how the 2-year-old boy got a hold of a gun or what kind of gun it was. They also have not said whether anyone will face charges.