Young child accidentally shoots mom with shotgun in front of school

NORWALK, Calif. (KTLA) -- A 24-year-old man was arrested and four children have been removed from a home after a young boy accidentally shot his mother near a school in Norwalk, authorities said Thursday morning.

Brandon Ambriz of Norwalk was arrested on suspicion of possession of a firearm and child endangerment, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. Authorities said he is being held on a no bail warrant for a parole violation.

The arrest came after a woman was wounded when her son somehow managed to access an unsecured shotgun and accidentally fired it from the back seat, hitting her in the mid-torso, a sheriff's news release stated.

The incident took place about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 14600 block of Dinard Avenue, in front of Ramona School, according to sheriff's Lt. Jorge Marchena. He said the woman had stopped there to pick up her children.

Deputies were dispatched to a “rescue responding, assault with a deadly weapon, gunshot victim” call and located the mother still in the driver's seat, according to the release. She suffered critical injuries and was rushed to a local hospital.

Four children were in the vehicle at the time of the shooting, including the boy — described as being under 10 years old — who fired the shotgun, authorities said. None of them were injured.