Babysitter accidentally shot 10-year-old boy while taking selfies with gun, police say

A 10-year-old boy was accidentally shot by his babysitter when she was taking selfies while holding a gun, a Texas sheriff's office said.

The boy was taken to a hospital in critical condition, but is recovering.

The incident occurred at an apartment in Houston on Tuesday evening when the 19-year-old relative who was watching the child found a gun, according to tweets from the Harris County Sheriff's Office.

Thinking the weapon was unloaded, the girl started posing and taking pictures with it, authorities said. That's when the gun went off, hitting the boy in the stomach.

The child was taken to the hospital in critical condition, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez tweeted.

His condition has improved and he is stable after undergoing surgery, Senior Deputy Thomas Gilliland told CNN. The investigation is ongoing and no charges have yet been made, Gilliland said.

Accidental and preventable gun deaths make up 1% of overall gun-related deaths in the US, according to the National Safety Council. Gilliland reminded the public to always remember that firearms are not to be played around with.

"Firearms are dangerous weapons so take precautions to make sure things like that don't happen," Gilliland said. "Taking selfies was not the best thing to be doing."