#Utah mom accused of fatally shooting 2-year-old son

A Utah mother is accused of fatally shooting her 2-year-old son then turning the gun on herself in an unsuccessful bid to take her own life, a report said.

Valerie Peck was charged Friday for allegedly killing her child on Monday as he sat in his car seat in a camping area in Uintah County, according to arrest records obtained by the Deseret News.

The 40-year-old mother shot herself twice, but survived, a police affidavit said. She then drove Fantasy Canyon to possibly “freeze to death,” the newspaper reported.

Police were called to the canyon, where they found Peck and her dead child. The mother was hospitalized and later charged with aggravated murder and child abuse.

In July, Peck was charged with trespassing at Regional Medical Center in Vernal, the report said. At the time, her husband had told the court his wife was suffering from mental health issues.