Dad arrested after girl, 7, shot in northwest London home

A seven-year-old girl shot inside a northwest London home over the weekend remains in hospital, her mom told CBC News. 

The girl, who is in Grade 2, was shot in the foot and remains in the critical care unit, said her mother. CBC News is not identifying the woman in order to protect the identify of the child. 

Police made public Tuesday that a child was shot inside a home in the area of Blanchard Road and Blanchard Crescent, off of Lawson Road, near Wilfrid Jury Public School, on Saturday. 

“She’s talked to police, to Children’s Aid, to the nursing staff,” the girl’s mother said in a phone interview, adding that she didn’t know the details of how the seven-year-old was shot. 

The man charged with the shooting and other offences is the girl’s father, the mom confirmed. 

There was a heavy police presence in the area of Blanchard Road and Blanchard Crescent on Saturday afternoon, including members of the heavily armed tactical unit. Police didn’t make the details public until three days later.  

They said a child was shot inside the home Saturday morning. Police arrested a 44-year-old man at about 4 p.m. and charged him with three counts of possessing a firearm contrary to a prohibition order, possessing a restricted firearm without a licence, careless storage of a firearm and failing to provide the necessities of life. 

Inside the home, police found a handgun, shotgun, imitation firearm, starter pistol and numerous shotgun shells and ammunition. 

Police have not named the accused because doing so could identify the child. The man will appear in court on Tuesday.