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'Why did that man shoot me?' Little boy hit after handgun accident

A family in the US whose son was hurt in an accidental shooting incident in Texas involving a Liberty County Commissioner are calling for it to be treated as a negligent act.

Autumn Flores, mother of four-year-old Cash, told the Houston Chronicle that her son is confused about what happened and keeps asking, 'Why did that man shoot me?'.

County commissioners are elected officials who administer local laws in some parts of the US.

Both Cash and Pct. 2 Commissioner Greg Arthur, a former sheriff of Liberty County, were on holiday when the accident took place at a dance at a park.

"We were at the pavilion and I was wearing my concealed handgun. It was shifting around a little bit so I stepped out into the parking lot to readjust," Pct. 2 Commissioner Greg Arthur, had said in earlier reports.

He claims during the event the handgun fired towards the ground after he accidentally hit the trigger while making adjustments, the Houston Chronicle reports.

The four-year-old in hospital.
The four-year-old in hospital.

Bullet fragments that ricocheted off the concrete floor of the pavillion reportedly hit Cash and a man in his twenties.

"I never thought I would be treating a bullet wound on my four-year-old son," Ms Flores said.

According to the Houston Chronicle the young boy had to undergo surgery following the incident and his mother said that two bullet fragments had been found in soft tissue in the region around his knee.

The Houston Chronicle reports that Texas Parks and Wildlife Department claims no laws appear to have been broken but investigations are ongoing.

Generic image of person carrying a gun. Source: Associated Press
Generic image of person carrying a gun. Source: Associated Press

A spokesperson for TPWD, Tom Harvey, said, "Anyone who is licensed to carry in the state of Texas can carry on state park property.

"If they have a license for open carry, the firearm must be in a holster,"

"This firearm was being carried lawfully."

Pct. 2 Commissioner Greg Arthur is said to be remorseful for the incident.