Two-year-old Shoots Four-year-old Brother in Cordova; Talbot Co. Sheriff Investigating

CORDOVA, Md. – The Talbot County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) is investigating an accidental shooting between two young children that took place Sunday afternoon.

At 2:20 p.m. on Jan. 4, deputies responded to the 30000 block of Skipton Cordova Road for a report of a young child with a gunshot wound. They arrived and found a four-year-old boy with a non-life-threatening wound to his lower leg. Talbot County paramedics treated the injured child on scene before determining he should be flown to Baltimore out of an abundance of caution. He was transported by the Maryland State Police Aviation Division to Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Police say their preliminary investigation indicated that a 2-year-old child living in the same home gained access to a firearm and discharged a round, striking his older sibling.

In a post to social media, the family of the children involved confirmed the incident and shared additional details.

“We are unsure if the bullet grazed his leg or if something flew up and hit his leg,” the family wrote. “There was not a hole in the pajama pants he was wearing. There was not an entry or exit wound on his leg, just a scratch.”

Photos included in the post show the four-year-old in a lighthearted mood and full of smiles. A picture of the child’s leg depicted two small abrasions on his leg; one near the bottom of his foot and one on the underside of his calf.

“It was very scary for all of us,” the family continued. “We are all just thankful that our boy is okay and will be sure to take all precautions to prevent anything like this from happening in the future. We appreciate all the thoughts and prayers.”

Talbot County Child Protective Services was notified and responded to the scene.

TCSO would like to remind residents that Maryland law requires firearms in households with children under the age of 16 to be unloaded and secured without adult supervision.