Mom shot to death by toddler, 2

HAYDEN, Idaho — A 2-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed his mother after he reached into her purse at a northern Idaho Walmart and her concealed gun fired, authorities said Tuesday.

The 29-year-old woman was shopping with her son and three other children, Kootenai County sheriff’s spokesman Stu Miller told The Associated Press. Her family had come to the area to visit relatives, he said. 

The woman, whose identity was not released, had a concealed weapons permit. Miller said the young boy was left in a shopping cart, reached into the victim’s purse and grabbed a small-caliber handgun, which discharged one time.

Deputies who responded to the Walmart found her dead, the sheriff’s office said.

“It appears to be a pretty tragic accident,” Miller said. 

The woman’s husband was not in the store when the shooting happened at about 10:20 a.m. Miller said the man arrived shortly after the shooting. All the children were taken to a relative’s house.

The shooting occurred in the Walmart in Hayden, Idaho, north of Coeur d’Alene. The store closed and was not expected to reopen until this morning.

Brooke Buchanan, a spokeswoman for Walmart, said in a statement the shooting was a “very sad and tragic accident.”

“We are working closely with the local sheriff’s department while they investigate what happened,” Buchanan said.