5-year-old shoots self in face in Wendy's drive-thru, police say

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RANDOLPH COUNTY, N.C. — A North Carolina 5-year-old is in critical condition after accidentally shooting himself in the face outside a Wendy's restaurant Sunday afternoon in Randolph County, authorities said.

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Randleman police said the child was inside a car at the drive-thru when the handgun went off.

Police said the boy was in a car seat and unbuckled himself as his mother pulled up to the drive-thru.

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The child grabbed a .45 semi-automatic handgun from a pocket on the back of the car’s front passenger seat and pulled the trigger, police said.

Police said the gun belonged to the boy’s father, who left the gun in the car.