Authorities in the US state of Idaho say a two-year-old boy has accidentally shot and killed a woman.

The 29-year-old woman, named as Veronica J Rutledge, was shopping with several children, Kootenai County sheriff's spokesman Lieutenant Stu Miller said.

Her two-year-old son is reported to have been seated in the shopping cart and accessed the victim’s concealed weapon from her purse and discharged it, hitting the woman.

The shooting in Hayden, Idaho, about 40 miles (64km) northeast of Spokane, Washington, occurred in the back of the store near the electronics department.

"Prelim investigation shows shooting was accidental," Lt Miller posted on Twitter.

The woman had a permit to carry a concealed weapon, deputies said.

Lieutenant Miller says it is a lesson for all gun-owners:

Originally posted at 21:25, December 30th