UPDATE: Mother of 2-year-old who shot himself arrested, charged
ATLANTA - UPDATE:
DeKalb County PD says Valencia Burks, the mother of the two-year-old shot at the Knights Inn on Panola Road, has been arrested and charged with Reckless Conduct in the shooting.
Police say the two-year-old shot himself in the stomach and is continuing to improve and expected to recover.
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A two-year-old boy underwent surgery Monday morning after shooting himself in the stomach.
The child was in a room at the Knights Inn on Panola Road in DeKalb County, according to investigators. Police think he got his hands on a gun located in his mother's purse.
The single shot was fired around 2:15 a.m. Monday. Police said paramedics rushed the toddler to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta Egleston, where at last check he was listed in critical but stable condition.
The boy, his mother, an older brother and an adult female friend were in the room. They checked into the hotel the night before, coming from North Carolina.
No one else was hurt.
For now, police said this appears to be an accidental shooting. The mother is with the boy at the hospital. Detectives are talking to her and the adult friend to determine what, if any, charges will be filed.
Police said doctor believe the child will survive.