Father-Of-One Dies After Toddler Son Triggers Loaded Gun

A toddler accidentally shot his father to death inside their home after getting his hands on the man’s loaded gun.

At around 5:30 p.m. on Dec. 5, officers from the Savannah Police Department responded to a home in the 100 block of E. 64th Street, Savannah, Georgia after receiving reports of a shooting.

They found 25-year-old Dustin Walters at his home suffering from a gunshot wound and rushed him to the Memorial Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries, authorities said.

The father-of-one was shot 'accidentally' by a child under the age of two, according to the police.

“The preliminary investigation determined that Walters was wounded when a toddler, who was just under 2 years of age, found and fired the handgun, striking Walters,” police said in a statement.

The details of the investigation were not made public until Dec. 14, when authorities revealed that a child was involved in the shooting.

The police are yet to release information on how the toddler was able to access the gun, or whether it was in a secure location.

“As a parent, I cannot imagine what this family is going through or will continue to go through in the coming years,” Savannah Police Chief Roy Minter said in a statement.

“What we want to make sure now is that parents are aware that although rare, these incidents can happen with tragic results. Please take this seriously and take the steps to ensure that you and your family members are safe.”

In the statement, the police have urged the public "to please take a moment to think about the firearms in their homes and in any homes that their children frequent”.

“Make sure those firearms are secured and not accessible to children. If your children frequent a home where there are firearms, have a conversation with those people to make sure that firearms are secured and not accessible. If your child is old enough, have a conversation about the dangers of firearms and advise the child to never touch a firearm. Also, tell the child to notify an adult know if they find a gun. However, experts advise that adults should acknowledge that children are curious and they should not rely on these conversations alone to be a deterrent,” the police said.