Detectives are looking into how a 5-year-old acquired access to a shotgun.
A trio of Florida deputies is being commended for their quick thinking, which possibly saved the life of a 5-year-old girl.
The kindergartner gained access to a shotgun under a family member’s bed in Deltona on Saturday afternoon and inadvertently shot herself in the leg, according to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office.
Responding deputies discovered the girl conscious and alert, but bleeding from her injuries.
The department’s bodycam footage is pixelated so as not to identify the youngster or be too gruesome by exposing the cut, but first responders can be heard saying “get the tourniquet.”
“Deputies Maletto, Kagle, Williams, Estrada, and Rodriguez worked quickly to administer aid, apply a tourniquet, and carry the child out to Deltona Fire Rescue,” the Volusia Sheriff’s Office wrote on Facebook.
The youngster can be seen being carried out of the house and placed on a stretcher before being transferred to Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando, where medical experts stated that the girl’s prompt response and treatment likely saved her life.
“The hair on the back of my neck stood up as I watched these deputies assist this 5-year-old girl.” “What an outstanding example of decisive action and compassion on the part of everyone involved,” Sheriff Mike Chitwood tweeted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Chitwood intends to award medals to everyone involved for their life-saving efforts.
Detectives are currently looking into the issue and will submit their findings to the state attorney general’s office for evaluation.
