A toddler in Fort Worth is fighting for her life after being shot in the chest.
Police say it appears the little girl accidentally shot herself. According to the Fort Worth Police Department, the incident occurred in the 2600 block of Aiken Lane in Fort Worth.
The child's mother informed officers that the child may have gotten the gun from an unsecured drawer and subsequently shot herself in the chest, police say. Police confirmed the child's age to be 2-years old.
FWPD said the child was taken to Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth in stable condition where she is being treated for possible life threatening injuries.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
It is not clear at this time the type of gun that was involved in the incident.
Police said no arrests have been made at this time, but the investigation into the incident is ongoing. The Crimes Against Children's Unit is also involved in the investigation.
"I have been praying for the family and I hope the little girl is OK," a neighbor who did want to be identified told NBC 5. "She's a very pretty little girl, tiny, and cute. I see her running around here and she's just the prettiest little thing I've ever seen."
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
While more details are still pending, police are sending a warning to parents who own firearms.
"Anytime you have a gun in your house, it needs to be inaccessible to children," said Cpl. Joshua Johnson with Fort Worth Police.
He said they're hoping parents do everything they can to keep dangerous items like guns out of reach.
"Having a safe in your house or something in an area where you can lock up the gun. If you have a locked closet, maybe in the master bedroom where the kids are not able to access. Keeping the gun high on top of cabinets," he recommended.
Fort Worth Police also has a partnership with nonprofit Project ChildSafe, which provides gun locks free of charge to families.
"So what it is, it's a locking mechanism that would go down through the chamber down through the magazine wheel, and then lock," said Cpl. Johnson.
Anyone can grab a free lock from the front desk at Fort Worth's main police station front desk on Felix Street. Even if you don't live in Fort Worth, you can click here and find a local police department near you that partners with Project ChildSafe.
Cpl. Johnson said talking with your kids about firearm dangers is important, too.
"Education is very important. That’s a very personal decision and discussion you can have in your house as to how you’re educating your children," he said. "I can speak for myself, I have educated my children, but I also focus on making sure my firearms are locked up in my safe."
Check back and refresh this page for the latest update. As developments unfold, elements of this story may change.
