An eight-year-old boy is in a critical condition after being shot in the face by his seven-year-old cousin in Texas.

Police captain Joe Stanton said the boys were playing unsupervised at a Texas City apartment when the seven-year-old found a handgun and it discharged. The eight-year-old was shot in the left cheek.

Mr Stanton said the older boy has undergone surgery and is in the intensive care unit at a Houston hospital.

Police say there were no adults in the apartment when they arrived. The boyfriend of the victim's mother may have been responsible for supervising the children.

Texas Child Protective Services is reviewing the incident.

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