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5-year-old boy shoots himself after getting mom's gun out of her purse, police say

HAMPTON, Va. — A 5-year-old Virginia boy is in stable condition after police say he found his mother's gun in her purse and shot himself.

According to WTKR, the Portsmouth boy's mother was driving him to the doctor Tuesday morning when he got out of his car seat and found the gun in her handbag, Virginia State Police said. The boy then shot his own wrist as they traveled along Interstate 64 in Hampton, police said.

>>Read: Police: 4-year-old accidentally shoots himself with gun from mother’s purse

The woman was talking on her cellphone at the time of the incident, police said.

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The boy is being treated at the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters in Norfolk.

Authorities are still deciding whether the child's mother will face any charges.