SOMEONE SHOOTS A 4 YEAR OLD BOY WITH A FLARE!

A 4-year-old British boy is in a coma after suffering severe internal injuries from being shot in the back by a flare.
The maritime distress flare hit the child while he was walking hand in hand with his parents to a birthday party in Romford, Essex.

Built for use by ships, coastguards and the military, the beacon was fired horizontally and narrowly avoided the victim's sister, 2.

London's Daily Mail reports that the boy is currently in the hospital in critical but stable condition in a medically induced coma.

“His parents are absolutely devastated -- they are going through hell at the moment," said Detective Inspector David Cavanagh. "We don’t know whether he is going to pull through. His injuries are very serious.”

The inspector said police believe the family was deliberately targeted.

"This thing was being pointed at this group, without doubt. It’s not something that has gone off by accident," he said. "It was wet and windy, and there were very few people around."

The boy's father originally thought his son had been hit by fireworks.

"The dad was holding the boy’s hand, and he hears a whooshing sound, and he’s knocked off his feet," Cavanagh continued. "Then the lad goes limp.”

A passerby administered first aid to the boy, who was then placed in a car while the family awaited paramedics.

Police are asking for two witnesses at the scene -- the passerby and a young boy who asked after the victim -- to come forward.

Maritime flares have enough power to climb 700 feet and create a bright light without exploding. They have been used at sea since World War I in nighttime search-and-rescue operations.

It is illegal to fire flares over land, though it is not necessary to have a license to obtain them.