4-Year-Old Boy Accidentally Shoots Pregnant Mom in the Face: Cops

A 4-year-old Washington boy accidentally shot his pregnant mother in the face with a handgun he found underneath the mattress of his parents' bed, according to authorities.

The woman and her boyfriend were watching television while lying in bed when their son discovered the weapon between the mattress and box spring. His mother is eight months pregnant, the King County Sheriff's Office said.

The 27-year-old mother remains hospitalized and her condition has improved, according to authorities. 

The boy's father had allegedly borrowed the gun for protection from a relative and failed to secure it in a safe place, said sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Ryan Abbott.

The shooting occurred about 5 p.m. Saturday.

In November, Washington voters approved a controversial initiative that holds gun owners criminally liable if an unsecured weapon is discharged by someone not allowed to have guns, such as felons and children. The law does not take effect until July.

“We’re reminding anybody with a gun, kids see them as toys,” Abbott said at a press conference. “The biggest tragic lesson here is please lock up your guns so they can’t be used accidentally for the wrong reason.”

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