A Virginia toddler died after an accidental shooting at home in an incident that highlights the dangers of unsecured firearms.
Police responded to the shooting Tuesday night in the 4200 block of Newsome Drive, where they found the 3-year-old boy inside a home with a gunshot wound. The call came in at 8:16 p.m., according to Newport News police.
Paramedics transported the boy to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead. Investigators are treating it as an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot.
Police have not identified the child or parents.
"There are no charges filed in this case as of this morning," Matt Michalec, a spokesman for the Newport News police, told Newsweek. "The case is still under investigation."
What Happened?
Officers arrived to find a man cradling his injured son in a blanket. The toddler had a gunshot wound to the forehead, according to a search warrant affidavit obtained by The Virginian-Pilot.
The father said he returned home from his job as an armed security guard and placed the gun on the kitchen counter, unsure of how long it had been unattended.
The man told police he was in a nearby bedroom when he heard a loud popping noise.
"He ran into the kitchen and found his son lying on the floor suffering from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head," the affidavit said.
Unintentional Shootings
In 2022, there were 673 accidental shooting deaths in the United States, accounting for less than 1 percent of all firearm-related fatalities. Among children, 1,262 unintentional firearm deaths occurred between 2003 and 2021, with most victims being boys and young children aged 0-5 years experiencing the highest rate of self-inflicted incidents
In 2023, there were 1,573 unintentional firearm deaths. With just over a month remaining in 2024, the number stands at 1,242.
The incidents are often preventable with proper firearm safety measures, such as secure storage and education on handling firearms. States with safe storage laws have seen significant declines in accidental gun deaths.
Safe storage laws, often called child access prevention (CAP) laws, require firearm owners to secure their guns to prevent unauthorized access, particularly by children. The laws typically mandate using locking devices such as gun safes, trigger locks or storing firearms unloaded and separate from ammunition.
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