PHILADELPHIA—Authorities say a 4-year-old boy has shot himself in the chest in Philadelphia with a gun he found under his mother's pillow.

The shooting happened at around 7 p.m. Saturday in the Mayfair section of northeast Philadelphia. Police say the boy shot himself once in the left side of the chest with a handgun.

Officer Chris Bennett tells The Philadelphia Inquirer ( http://bit.ly/HK2oxZ) that the shooting appears to be accidental.

Police tell the newspaper that the boy is in critical condition and undergoing emergency surgery at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children.

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Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, http://www.philly.com