5-day-old infant accidentally shot in head by nearby hunter while sitting with dad on couch

A newborn baby was wounded Thursday evening in Pennsylvania by a stray bullet apparently fired by some nearby hunters.

Prosecutors in York County said the child’s father was holding 5-day-old infant while sitting on a couch about 6:30 p.m. in the family’s Saltsburg home when the bullet came through a window.

The bullet grazed the child’s head, but authorities said the baby was expected to recover.

The child’s name and gender were not released.

Prosecutors said the shot was likely fired by one of a group of hunters across the street on private property.

Several species of small game – including coyotes, opossums, porcupines, striped skunks, weasels, and woodchucks – are currently in season in Pennsylvania, reported the Indiana Gazette.

The shooting is considered accidental, prosecutors said.

Authorities said the hunters were cooperating in the investigation, and no charges have been filed.

A 10-month-old Minnesota boy narrowly missed serious injury Wednesday night when a neighbor accidentally fired a high-powered rifle inside his home, reported WCCO-TV.

“My finger slipped down and discharged the weapon,” said Daniel Lawson, who knocked on his neighbors' door to tell them about the accidental gunshot.

The family found the bullet penetrated the outside wall, struck a basket full of stuffed animals, hit the baby's crib just inches above his head, and eventually became buried in the carpet.

Lawson's semi-automatic rifle was legally licensed, and police found no evidence of drug or alcohol use.

He faces a possible misdemeanor charge of reckless discharge of a firearm, which carries a potential 90-day jail term or $1,000 fine.