A 3-year-old boy is in critical condition after apparently shooting himself in the head inside a South Philadelphia home late Wednesday, and his 17-year-old brother is facing charges related to the shooting.

Police responded to reports of a shooting at the 2100 block of South 26th Street at 11:14 p.m. When police arrived, they found a trail of blood leading up to one of the homes, Philadelphia Police Department Chief Inspector Scott Small told reporters at the scene.

Preliminary investigation indicated that the boy was in a second-floor room when he suffered a self-inflicted wound, police said.

District Attorney Larry Krasner said Thursday that the boy’s 17-year-old brother, who was not identified due to his age, was in custody and charged with a felony weapon offense and reckless endangerment. The teenager was also charged with tampering with evidence and obstruction of justice because police have not been able to recover the firearm used in the shooting, said Assistant District Attorney Anthony Voci.

Krasner declined to say whether the 17-year-old was cooperating with investigators. Prosecutors also declined to disclose other aspects of the investigation. The 17-year-old is on juvenile supervision in relation to another firearm crime, Voci said.

Inside the room where the 3-year-old was shot, police found a “ghost gun” — meaning its parts were bought online separately and then assembled with no serial number or tracking. The found ghost gun was inoperable, leading investigators to believe it was not used in the shooting, Voci said.

Police were told that the boy was rushed to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in a private vehicle Wednesday night. “We’re just hoping for the best for this child because he is shot in the head and he is in critical condition, undergoing surgery,” Small said.

A magazine was found inside the home, but no gun. Three people taken in for questioning were providing conflicting stories and information, said Small.

“I’ve said this many times. If there are children in the house, they should not be able to get access to a gun,” Small said.

A next-door neighbor, Brian Cooper, 58, described the neighborhood as being relatively quiet.

“I didn’t hear anything, but I’m a little bit surprised because it’s been pretty good out here for a good while,” Cooper said.

The Wilson Park Apartments complex, a Philadelphia Housing Authority complex where the shooting occurred, was quiet Thursday morning. Cooper said it’s a place where many of the residents have lived for years and know each other well.

Children’s toys and bicycles could be seen in backyards, Ramadan decorations still hung in windows. PHA crews were landscaping and removing trash from the complex on an otherwise sleepy morning.

“Out here is just like one big family. Everybody looks out for each other. If they see a package or anything on your door, they’ll knock on the door, or they’ll hold it and bring it to you later,” Cooper said.

Officials urged parents and community members to be intentional about monitoring their children’s activities.

“I‘m going to empathetically say this: Please check book bags, check rooms. If you hear something, say something,” said Tone Barr, director of victim services at the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia. “We must come together as a community and stop tragedies like this from happening.”

Krasner asked residents to reconsider a gun purchase, citing studies that show gun ownership raises women’s risk of domestic homicide by 500%.

“Whatever fool told you to get a gun to make yourself safe did this 3-year-old no favor,” Krasner said.

hsavage@inquirer.com

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