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HAYDEN, Idaho — A 2-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed his mother after he reached into her purse at a Walmart store and her concealed gun fired, authorities said Tuesday.

Veronica J. Rutledge, 29, was shopping with her son and three other children, Kootenai County sheriff’s spokesman Stu Miller said. Her family had come to the area to visit relatives, he said.

The woman, whose identity was not released, had a concealed-weapon permit. Miller said the boy was left in a shopping cart, reached into her purse and grabbed a small-caliber handgun, which discharged once.

“It appears to be a pretty tragic accident,” Miller said.

The woman’s husband was not in the store. Miller said the man arrived shortly after the shooting. All the children were taken to a relative’s house.

The shooting occurred in the Walmart in Hayden, about 40 miles northeast of Spokane, Wash. The store closed and was not expected to reopen until Wednesday.

In neighboring Washington, a 3-year-old boy was seriously injured in November when he was accidentally shot in the face by a 4-year-old neighbor. In April, a 2-year-old boy apparently shot and killed his 11-year-old sister while they and their siblings played with a gun inside a Philadelphia home.