A 3-year-old boy from Georgia has died after he accidentally shot himself with a firearm. This horrific accident happened at an East Point home on Wednesday, according to 11 Alive.
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Georgia Boy Dies After Playing With Father’s Gun And Accidentally Shooting Himself
Police officers responded to a report of a person wounded by a gunshot at a home on Hawthorne Way. Upon arrival, police found the 3-year-old boy unconscious. He only had one gunshot wound, but the injury was critical.
First responders rushed the child to a local hospital, where he later succumbed to his wounds. Officers had found the firearm near the child when they first arrived, and they later discovered it was his father’s, per Atlanta News First.
“Guns and children do not mix. It’s very simple,” said East Point Chief of Police Shawn Buchanan. “A tragedy police across Metro Atlanta say happens too often.”
Buchanan described the situation as “ridiculous” and “unacceptable,” warning parents to secure their handguns. “If you know you have a child, you shouldn’t have a loaded gun. You should have your guns properly secured in a lockbox, or you should have a safe. It’s the same thing every year. It’s sad and it’s disturbing.”
Police reported that the 3-year-old’s parents were asleep when the accident happened. The little tike had gone downstairs to look for them and found the gun instead. As he was playing with it, the safety must have been off, as he accidentally pulled the trigger on himself.
“It’s just a sad, very disturbing scene,” Buchanan continued. “A lot of officers have to go to psychological counseling, which is mandatory, but they are actually wanting to go because it’s such a disturbing scene.”
Fulton County Medical Examiner eventually identified the boy as Jianna Jones. The autopsy was scheduled for today, July 3.
Although East Point Criminal Investigations Division is handling the ongoing investigation, authorities have not yet made any arrests. They may find the father liable for his son’s death as he owns the firearm that he did not safely secure.
“We just want to keep stressing — it gets old — the same message every year, day after day – secure your weapons. If you can’t secure them, don’t have them,” Buchanan said. “A three-year-old lost their life because of irresponsibility.”