2-year-old struck in head by stray bullet while playing outside at day care: Police

(UTAH) — A 2-year-old was struck in the head by a stray bullet while playing outside at a Utah day care, authorities said.

The incident occurred Monday at a day care in Spanish Fork while several children were playing outside in a vinyl fenced-in area of the facility, according to police.

While playing, one child “appeared to stumble and was seen bleeding from the face,” Spanish Fork Police Lt. Cory Slaymaker said in a statement Tuesday.

Spanish Fork Police Investigating Child Hit By Stray Bullet At Daycare: https://t.co/ns2KpCBceg pic.twitter.com/0ZOnMtZ7xW

— Spanish Fork Police, Fire & EMS (@SpanishForkPDFE) May 23, 2023

The day care notified the parents, who took the child to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center. Doctors discovered through scans a “small caliber bullet” lodged in the toddler’s head, Slaymaker said.

The child was transferred to a local children’s hospital for treatment and is currently in stable condition, police said.

It is unclear where the gun was fired from and why. The incident appears to be a “tragic accident” and remains under investigation, Slaymaker said.

“Open fields are directly west of the daycare and it is believed the round may have come from that area,” Slaymaker said.

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