Two-year-old boy shot in Waterville remains hospitalized

WATERVILLE — A 2-year-old boy shot in the head Saturday in his Western Avenue home remained Tuesday in a Portland hospital.

“The boy remains in the hospital,” Maine State Police media coordinator Katharine England said in an email Tuesday in response to a request for comment. “No charges have been filed, but when the investigation is complete, it will be reviewed by the DA’s office. Investigators are not commenting on other aspects of the case as it remains an active investigation.”

The boy, whom police reported Sunday was in critical condition at Maine Medical Center, apparently was shot by an older sibling just before noon Saturday at their 92 Western Ave. home. State police said the older sibling “found the gun that was secured in a closet, loaded it, and a round was fired.”

Police are not releasing the victim’s name, but a GoFundMe page set up for the family says the boy is Evan Hood, 2, and his parents are Daniel and Cori Hood. The house on Western Avenue is listed in Waterville’s tax database as being owned by the Hoods.

On Tuesday Daniel Hood posted on Facebook thanking people for their support. He wrote, “Our beloved son has a long road ahead of him, but there have been positive signs as of late. Evan is a fighter and will continue to fight.”

The post says that Evan has been grasping with his right hand and moving the right side of his body.

“He is not out of the woods yet but with continued prayers, love and community support we hope to have more positive news,” wrote Daniel Hood.

Waterville police responded to the home just before noon Saturday and set up a mobile command center before Maine State Police Major Crimes — Central officials arrived and set up their command center. Police spent many hours interviewing the Hoods and others and gathering evidence at the scene. A Waterville officer supervised two small boys in a cruiser parked in the driveway.

The GoFundMe page, seeking to raise $10,000, says the Hoods are traveling back and forth to the Portland hospital and the money raised will help with expenses.

Neither Waterville nor state police would comment on what type of gun was used in the shooting, or how the gun was secured in a closet if a child could access and load it.

Meanwhile, gun safety advocates say firearms should be kept in a locked place and the key kept where children can not get it. Ammunition should also be kept separately from firearms and locked away.

Geoff Bickford, executive director of the Maine Gun Safety Coalition, said Monday that putting a trigger lock on a firearm is a simple, basic way to prevent such shootings from happening.

“This is absolutely preventable and avoidable,” he said. “No responsible gun owner would allow access in this manner.”

Bickford said a child’s being able to get into a closet and obtain and load a gun shows the child had a familiarity with the firearm, and that means a parent or gun owner has more of a duty to secure it. If a child was able to access and load the gun, that gun was not “secured” in a closet, according to Bickford.

Meanwhile, Maine Medical Center is not divulging information about the boy’s condition. Releasing such information about a child requires parental consent.

Contacted by telephone Monday afternoon, a hospital spokeswoman said she “had no information on a patient by that name.”