3-year-old shot by young boy in serious condition at Harborview

LAKE STEVENS -- A 3-year-old Lake Stevens boy is in serious condision after being shot in the head Friday night.

Deputies said that a 4-year-old neighbor may have shot him while playing with a gun, but the investigation into what exactly happened is continuing.

According to the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office's Lt. Susy Johnson, the two boys were playing in a bedroom a little before 10 p.m. Friday when the father heard a loud noise. He went to see what was happening, and when he found the bedroom door locked, he forced his way into the bedroom.

That's when he found his son with a mouth injury, and 911 was soon called.

After arriving at Providence Everett Medical Center, it was determined that the boy's injuries were caused by a gunshot. The father had feared that the child had been hurt by the bedroom door when he forced his way in to check on the loud noise.

The boy was then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he was originally listed in serious condition. The 4-year-old boy was not injured.

Later Saturday, the boy's condition was downgraded to critical, and then upgraded again Monday. He is still in an intensive care unit.

Johnson said that initial information that investigators learned suggests that the 4-year-old was playing with a gun and accidentally shot the 3-year-old. Both families are cooperating with the investigation, she said.

The SCSO Major Crimes Unit is in charge of the investigation.