A five-year-old Birmingham girl shot her brother in the head with an airgun after their father turned his back to answer a phonecall.
Rashid Rullah, who is 18 months old, had been playing in his family's back garden with his father and sister when the tragic accident happened shortly before 7pm on Sunday in Bennetts Road, Washwood Heath. The toddler remains in a critical condition in Birmingham Children's Hospital.
His father, handyman Bakht Zaman, was using the gun for target practice moments before the accident. He then turned his back to answer his mobile phone. But the 29-year-old left the gun loaded in preparation for his next shot.
The boy's grandfather Bakht Rammand, 48, said: "There are no words to describe it really. The whole road loves them."
Mr Rammand said the boy's mother Fazilat Zaman, 25, had spent the night at Birmingham's Children's Hospital but was now sleeping at home before returning to her son's bedside.
He said his grandson remained unconscious and seriously ill in hospital after his sister Asna Almas shot him.
Doctors were unable to operate on the boy as he was still unconscious, he said.
Mr Rammand said: "The children usually come down here about 10.30am and spend all day, every day with us. At 4pm they usually go home. When they went home they were playing with their dad in the garden.
"He was target practising with the gun and then somebody rang his mobile. The gun was ready to fire and he answered the phone.
"Rashid's sister is really active and she got hold of the gun and pointed it at her brother. He was on the high ground and she was on the low ground. It hit him right in the middle of the back of his head.
"Everybody's in shock."
