HANOVER COUNTY, Va. -- A five-year-old boy accidentally shot his seven-year-old sister in the leg after the siblings followed a cat into a bedroom and found a handgun under a bed, the Hanover Sheriff's Office said. Saturday afternoon's accidental shooting happened when the family was viewing the Beaverdam Road home that was for sale.
"The investigation revealed that while the family was viewing a home for sale, the two children followed a cat into a bedroom. One child followed the cat under the bed, where the handgun was stored," investigators said. "The victim was shot in the leg and had non-life threatening injuries."
No criminal charges will be brought in this incident, investigators said.
Rich Pates, who lives across the street from the home, said it was a typically quiet area, but he did hear an unusual sound on Saturday afternoon.
"Sirens," he said, "sirens are a rarity out here, especially multiple sirens."
He said he was shocked when he learned what emergency crews were doing on his street. He called Saturday's incident a reminder to be careful if you do have firearms in your home.
Smitty Smith, who is unrelated to the incident, has been in the real estate business for 20 years. He said he had never encountered something like this before.
"We always advise our clients to clear the home of small valuables of things that can be easily bumped into and broken," said Smith.
Smith said after hearing about this incident, he will start talking to clients about being extra cautious if someone does have a weapon in their home. He also said he'll be reminding people to keep an eye on their children.
No charges were filed in connection to Saturday's shooting.
"Each of these incidents are unique and cannot always be compared with similar cases," Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Karen Godfrey said. "Based on a review of the circumstances and a consultation with the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, it was determined charges were not warranted in this specific incident."
