Mom Shot, Killed By 2-Year-Old Son at Walmart

A young mother was shot and killed by her 2-year-old son today in an Idaho Walmart, police said.

Lt. Stu Miller of the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office said that the boy was sitting in the shopping cart when pulled the handgun from his mom's purse and pulled the trigger. Police identified the victim as Veronica J. Rutledge, 29, of Blackfoot, Idaho.

The preliminary investigation shows the shooting was an accident, Miller said. He added that the victim was from out of town and may have been visiting relatives for the holidays. The boy was with family members.

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Rutledge was shopping in the electronics section of the Hayden, Idaho, store, about 40 miles from Spokane, Washington, when the shooting happened this morning. The store was immediately evacuated and was to be closed until Wednesday. The investigation was ongoing.

"A very sad and tragic incident happened in our Hayden store involving a female customer, and we're working with the local sheriff's department while they investigate what happened," Walmart spokesperson Brooke Buchanan said in a statement to ABC News today.

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