Both victims were conscious when deputies arrived, and the child was airlifted to an Orlando children’s hospital for treatment.
DELTONA, Fla. — Volusia County deputies provided emergency trauma care to a 4-year-old girl and her mother after a single gunshot wounded both of them inside a Deltona home Saturday morning, authorities said.
Deputies responded around 9:50 a.m. Sept. 19 to a residence on Boxelder Street. They found the girl’s father carrying the injured child while her mother remained inside the home with a towel over a wound to her leg. Authorities said both victims were conscious and alert when deputies reached them, prompting immediate treatment before emergency medical crews arrived.
The Sheriff’s Office said deputies applied tourniquets to both the girl and her mother. They also placed a chest seal on the child because of an injury to her chest. The girl had been wounded in the chest and arm, while her mother had been struck in the leg.
The child was airlifted by Air One to Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. Her mother was transported to HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital. Authorities had not released updated medical conditions for either patient as of Sunday morning.
Investigators said the girl’s father reported that he was getting ready to go to a shooting range and was attempting to clear a handgun when it discharged. One round struck the child and then her mother, according to accounts released by the Sheriff’s Office and local news organizations covering the investigation.
The shooting was initially treated as an active investigation while deputies examined the father’s account and other evidence from the home. The Sheriff’s Office later said the facts and evidence supported an accidental gunshot and that no charges would be filed against the father.
Authorities have not publicly identified the girl, her mother or her father. Officials also have not released the type of handgun involved or provided a more detailed account of its handling immediately before the discharge. No additional shots were reported.
The rapid medical response became a central part of the initial account released by authorities. Deputies were already providing trauma care when emergency medical personnel arrived, after which the child and her mother were taken to separate hospitals for further treatment.
Investigators have not announced additional enforcement action following their finding that the shooting was accidental. The latest public information did not provide a timetable for the mother or child’s release from the hospital or further details about their recoveries.
Author note: Last updated September 20, 2026.