4-Year-Old Boy Shot, Critical in Aurora Apartment Shooting

A 4-year-old boy is in critical condition after being shot inside an Aurora apartment on Monday morning. Police responded after staff at a nearby Kaiser Permanente medical center reported the child was brought in with life-threatening injuries; the boy's mother had driven him there following the incident. Authorities believe someone in the home was playing with a handgun when the boy was shot, though it remains unclear who pulled the trigger, and initial investigation suggests the wound was not self-inflicted. At the time of the shooting, five people—including the mother, an adult male believed to be the father, three children, and the child's grandmother—were present or arrived shortly after; the grandmother was hospitalized for a separate medical issue. The father left the scene with one of the children before police arrived, and officers are seeking to question him about his involvement. The Aurora Police Department's Crimes Against Children and Major Crime units are investigating, and are considering whether the shooting may constitute a crime if firearm safety laws were violated.