Latest details on 2-year-old shot by 4-year-old in Port Charlotte

How did a 4-year-old get hold of a gun, and who will be held responsible for that child shooting a 2-year-old inside a home over the weekend?

Over the weekend, deputies responded to the home on Pulaski Street in Port Charlotte.

They said, on Saturday, the toddler was shot in hand by the 4-year-old. The 2-year-old was taken to a hospital and is expected to be OK.

The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office said the shooting seems to be accidental, but is a 4-year-old with a gun really an accident?

Now, someone needs to be held responsible.

Deputies want answers. They want to know how a 4-year-old got ahold of a loaded gun, what detectives are doing about it, and who they will hold accountable.

The Port Charlotte neighborhood is trying to make sense of a shocking shooting.

Katy Panno lives just a few houses down.

“I understand times have changed, and everybody feels the need to have weapons,” Panno said, “but we have a household full of four little girls under the age of nine, and we make sure that those things are protected and safe.”

The sheriff’s office confirms a parent was home when the shooting took place and is cooperating with the investigation.

Sheriff Bill Prummell said in a statement, “This is a terrible incident, but I am thankful that the injury is not life-threatening. As my detectives continue to investigate, I want to remind all gun owners in Charlotte County to double and triple-check that your firearms are stored safely, especially if there are children in the home. Let’s all do our part to protect our vulnerable ones.”

Detectives did get a search warrant, but in part because of the long holiday weekend, we do not know what, if anything, the sheriff’s office discovered as a result.

The Florida Department of Children and Families is also involved in this case.

We contacted the sheriff’s office and DCF about what’s next for the gun owner and for the two children involved, but we have not been given answers so far.

We spoke to gun salesman Cody Peterson about this case.

“When you go to pick up the gun, it’s always maintained trigger discipline. Always have the gun pointed in a safe direction away from anybody, and never point the gun in anything you’re not willing to destroy. Always know what’s beyond your target,” Peterson said.