Emma Rosemurgey
A two-year-old child is recovering in hospital after being struck in the head by a stray bullet while at daycare, in what police are calling 'a tragic accident'.
The young boy had been playing with other children in a fenced outdoor area of the daycare in Spanish Fork, Utah, when he suddenly became injured.
Although it was unclear what had happened to the child, staff noted that he appeared to stumble, before it emerged he was bleeding from his face.
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They quickly contacted the child's parents, who rushed in to take him to hospital for treatment, where they made the grim discovery.
It was only when doctors took the child for scans to get to the root of the injury, they discovered a small calibre bullet lodged in his head.
Staff at the nursery where the incident took place have been left 'dumbfounded' and 'absolutely heartbroken' for the young boy and his family.
"I still feel like I'm in shock. We are absolutely surprised. We are dumbfounded that this would happen in Spanish Fork," daycare owner Lane Mugleston told KSL.
"Safety for the children and staff in our care has always been our number one priority. We are praying for him and his family, and we are hopeful for a full recovery.
"We are also praying for the shooter and his family. I am sure he had absolutely no idea that his bullet would travel as far as it did."
Spanish Fork police officer Cory Slaymaker said they did not believe the incident was a targeted attack, adding: "We feel like this was more of an accident, and the person that probably did it doesn’t even know that they did it."
Following an investigation into the incident, police have identified a man who was shooting birds in open fields west of the daycare with the same small calibre bullet found in the child's head.
The man is said to be cooperating with the police investigation and his identity will not be revealed unless any charges are filed against him.
The young boy was taken to Primary Children's Medical Center, where he is in stable condition and improving.
Fortunately, he is expected to make a full recovery, however, doctors have opted to leave the bullet in the boy's head over fears it could cause further damage if he undergoes surgery to remove it.