'Luckiest kid on earth' survives after shooting himself

A three-year-old American toddler miraculously escaped death after accidentally shooting himself in the head with a gun.

The toddler shot himself after his aunt left a loaded firearm on a bathroom counter, said the police. They added that the shooting was accidental but charges may be filed against her.

The shooting happened at a house around 7 pm, after the toddler's aunt and mother returned from a shopping trip, New York Daily News reported.

The boy's aunt told the police she had to use the bathroom, so she removed her .380 handgun and placed it on the counter-top. She apparently forgot about the firearm when her son began to act up and exited the washroom.

The boy’s older sister then entered to draw a bath for him, according to WSMV-TV. While she was filling the tub, the toddler grabbed the gun and shot himself in the head.

His sister told investigators she saw her little brother play with the firearm, but thought it was one of his toy guns. Detectives say the bullet passed through the child's skull.

The boy, whose name has not been released, was airlifted to Vanderbilt University Medical Centre, where doctors are calling him "the luckiest kid on earth". He is expected to survive.

The toddler was "conscious and fighting with nurses" on Saturday, lead investigator for the Manchester Police Department Billy Butler told the Manchester Times.

According to WKRN-TV, the boy was in a stable condition on Sunday.