A nuclear research scientist died Tuesday after her 2-year-old son pulled a loaded pistol from her purse and shot her while she was shopping at the Wal-Mart store in Hayden.
The horrific accident quickly attracted international attention, with media outlets worldwide carrying the story of Veronica J. Rutledge’s death.
Rutledge, a 29-year-old resident of Blackfoot, Idaho, died instantly.
“She was a beautiful, young, loving mother who was taken much too soon,” said her father-in-law Terry Rutledge. “She was out on what was supposed to be a fun-filled day with her son and nieces.”
Rutledge, an employee of the Idaho National Laboratory, was visiting family in Hayden with her husband, Colt. She had taken the children to Wal-Mart so they could spend their holiday gift cards. Her son, who was riding in a shopping cart, got a hold of the loaded pistol in her purse and shot her at 10:20 a.m. in the store’s electronics department.