SUITLAND, MD — (WMAL) Police believe it was an accident.

A 33-year-old man who was babysitting at a home on Bellamy Way in Suitland Tuesday evening was putting away his weapon when it accidentally discharged, striking an 11-year-old boy in the chest. The babysitter immediately rushed the boy to a local hospital, where’s he’s in critical condition.

“At this point, we do believe this was a tragic accident,” said Prince George’s County police spokeswoman Jennifer Donelan. “The 33-year-old man is distraught. We are speaking with him now. We are in the very early stages of this investigation.”

Police have not identified the babysitter, but say his weapon was legally registered, and that the man is a former military member,

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