3-Year-Old Toddler Accidentally Shoots, Kills Himself While Playing With Gun

A 3-year-old boy reportedly accidentally shot himself dead while playing with an unsupervised loaded gun in Florida on Wednesday, Aug. 24.

Officers from the Gainesville Police Department in Florida responded to a home in the Lamplighter Mobile Home Community at around 5:57 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 24, after they received reports of a shooting. At the scene, law enforcement discovered that a 3-year-old boy had shot himself with a loaded gun, Fox News reported.

According to a preliminary investigation, the unnamed toddler boy got the firearm from an unlocked case inside the residence and was "playing" with the gun when it accidentally went off, killing him.

"Initial investigation revealed the victim obtained a firearm from an unlocked gun case/toolbox in the home. The victim was playing with the firearm when it went off, striking him," the police department said in a Facebook post.

GPD detectives and forensic members later arrived at the scene to conduct an investigation and collect evidence. According to the officers, two other minors who were inside the residence saw the incident happen. The 3-year-old boy was immediately rushed to a local hospital for treatment. However, he succumbed to his injuries and was later pronounced dead at the facility, WESH 2 News reported.

Authorities did not reveal if any charges would be filed in connection with the incident.

In a similar but unrelated incident, a 2-year-old toddler has been reported dead after accidentally shooting himself in the face with his father's gun in a tragic incident in East Nashville, Tennessee, Latin Times reported.

On Monday, Nov. 1, 2021, at around 9:30 p.m., the young boy reportedly found his father Jeffrey Thorpe's gun on a bed inside their home and picked it up to play with it. Thorpe, who was visiting his wife and child, had carelessly placed his firearm on the bed and left it unattended. The toddler then accidentally fired the gun and shot himself in the head.

Thorpe immediately drove the boy and his mother Aaliyah Scales, 23, to TriStar Skyline Medical Center for treatment. However, after dropping them off at the hospital, he took off and fled the scene. The toddler was admitted to the hospital in critical condition but later succumbed to his fatal injuries.