Joliet police: 5-year-old boy shot by 8-year-old relative

A 5-year-old boy was in critical condition Friday after being shot in the stomach, most likely by another juvenile, Joliet police said.

“At this time, it is believed that an 8-year-old relative of the victim had accessed a handgun in a bedroom of the home and shot the 5-year-old victim, striking him in the abdomen,” stated a news release from the Joliet Police Department.

The shooting occurred sometime late Thursday night or early Friday morning in the 500 block of Dover Street.

Police learned of the incident when called to Saint Joseph Medical Center at 12:11 a.m. Friday.

The boy was brought there by his mother, according to the news release.

“Detectives responded to the scene and interviewed all parties, including the 8-year-old child,” the release said. “Officers recovered the handgun from the residence.”

Police have notified the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services of the incident.

Family of the boy became aware of the boy’s injury when they heard him crying, said Sgt. Dwayne English, spokesman for the Joliet Police Department.

“Family members overheard the boy crying and noticed he was bleeding from the arm,” English said. “Their initial thought was the child was shot with a pellet gun.”

It was determined that a higher caliber gun was used at Saint Joseph Medical Center, English said.

If the initial police findings hold up, the shooting would mark the second potentially fatal injury inflicted by a pre-teen juvenile against a family member in the past year in Joliet.

In September, a 6-year-old boy used a kitchen knife to stab to death his 2-year old brother at their home in the 2700 block of Fairway Drive.

Police are asking anyone with information related to this shooting on Dover Street to contact the Joliet Police Department Investigation Division at 815-724-3020.

They can also contact Will County Crime Stoppers at 800-323-6734 or online at https://crimestoppersofwillcounty.org/ if they wish to remain anonymous.