A pregnant woman and her unborn child died after a toddler got hold of a gun and shot her in the back last week, Ohio police said.
Laura Ilg, 31, called 911 on Friday afternoon and told the dispatcher she was 33 weeks pregnant and had been shot by her 2-year-old son, Norwalk police said in a statement.
Her husband, Alek, called in a report moments later that he had received a call from his wife who was screaming for him to call police.
Ilg can be heard begging for help in panic in audio from the 911 call released by police.
"I'm upstairs. I need help," she tells the dispatcher.
"Is your front door unlocked?" the dispatcher asks.
"Tell them to break in, please, hurry," she pleads before screaming.
Officers arrived at 1:14 p.m., three minutes after her first call was placed, and forced entry into the home. She told officers what happened as they rendered aid, police said.
"Laura was transported to Fisher Titus Medical Center, where an emergency cesarean section took place," police said.
Her unborn son was pronounced dead less than an hour after the 911 call was placed, and Ilg was pronounced dead at 5:10 p.m., police said.
Officers took possession of the gun, a SIG Sauer P365, along with a shell casing and the loaded magazine. Ilg and her husband told authorities that the handgun was kept in a nightstand in their bedroom. A 12-gauge shotgun and an airsoft rifle were also in the home, police said.
No charges have been filed. Police said the investigation findings will be forwarded to the local prosecutor's office.
In an interview with WOIO-TV of Cleveland, Norwalk Police Chief David Smith said that while the home had many child-safety features, many of the gates were often open.
"The gun was left out, but it shouldn't have been accessible to the child," Smith said. "Apparently she didn't know he was in the room at the time."
