Police urge gun safety after 11-year-old Valley boy says he shot himself

Police in Valley, Ala. are urging parents to make sure their firearms are secure after an 11-year-old boy said he shot himself in the hand Friday morning.

Officers of the Valley Police Department were called to the East Alabama- George H. Lanier hospital in reference to an 11-year-old male with a gunshot wound. He had been brought to the hospital by family members, police said.

The boy told the officers he was in his home on Columbus Road looking for medicine when he found a pistol in a drawer. While he was handling the weapon, the gun went off and a bullet struck him in the hand, he said.

No charges have been filed, and the case is being investigated by police.

“We urge parents that have firearms in the home to please take appropriate measures to insure that they are secured through the use of things like trigger locks or gun safes,” said Major Mike Reynolds of the Valley Police Department.

This story was originally published August 25, 2017 at 10:12 AM with the headline "Police urge gun safety after 11-year-old Valley boy says he shot himself."