'Very lucky': 5-year-old hospitalized after accidentally shooting himself in North Philadelphia, police say

PHILADELPHIA - A five-year-old boy is in the hospital recovering after he was injured from what police believe is a self-inflicted gunshot wound. 

According to authorities, around 1 a.m. on Thursday morning, the child sustained a gunshot wound in a home on the 3700 block of N Darien Street. 

The child was later taken to Saint Christopher's Hospital by his mother for emergency treatment and was placed in stable condition, officials say. 

Police say they believe the child got a hold of a gun and was playing with it. 

Chief Inspector Scott Small is urging legal gun owners to get trigger locks, which they can get from police for free, and reminding legal gun owners to lock their weapons up somewhere safe. 

Small also says the hospital staff says the child is "very lucky" that it did not strike any major organs. 

In a press conference held on Thursday afternoon, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced the investigation revealed the gun belonged to the child's father, 32-year-old Rafael Roman, who is not allowed to be in possession of the guns due to a criminal record. 

Assistant District Attorney Joanne Pescatore says the father and other relatives could potentially be charged because the child was unsupervised and was able to get to the gun. 

No additional details were released by the District Attorney's Office or police. 

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.