Toddler Fatally Shoots Himself In The Head With Family Member's Gun During Playtime

In a tragic turn of events, a 2-year-old toddler allegedly fatally shot himself in the head after finding a gun in the backpack of a family member in Waco, Texas, and playing with it on Wednesday, Sept. 22.

The victim, a two-year-old child, reportedly located the firearm in a backpack belonging to an adult family member, 21-year-old Derrick Pipkins, and accidentally shot himself to death while playing with it. After the incident, Pipkins reportedly took the weapon and fled the scene. However, he later returned home and was taken into custody by the Waco Police Department, KXXV reported.

Police officers responded to the University Club Apartments shortly after 6 p.m on Wednesday, Sept. 22, after they were summoned to respond to the shooting incident. Law enforcement found the poor kid suffering from a gunshot wound and immediately rushed him to Baylor Scott and White Medical Center- Hillcrest Hospital where he later succumbed to his serious injuries.

"While at the scene, investigators learned that the 2-year-old victim had located a firearm in a backpack belonging to an adult family member," said the authorities. "At this time, it is believed that the victim may have accidentally shot himself with the firearm after finding it. After the shooting happened, the owner of the firearm took the weapon and fled the scene, but later returned and was taken into custody."

Pipkins, who fled with the weapon after the incident, has been taken into custody and charged with tampering with physical evidence.

A further investigation reportedly revealed that Pipkins was the child's uncle.

In a similar but unrelated incident, the parents of a four-year-old boy have been arrested after reportedly leaving their child in a car with a loaded gun which he later accidentally used to shoot himself dead, FOX21 News reported.

Carlos Perez, 26, reportedly went to make purchases at Maggie’s Farm, a marijuana dispensary, while the 4-year-old boy was with his mother Ashlynne Perez, 25, and his younger sibling in their car. The boy allegedly managed to unlock himself from his booster seat in the back seat, climbed into the driver’s seat of the car unnoticed, took the gun from the open dashboard cubby, and shot himself in the head.

Ashlynne said that the incident reportedly happened while she turned to look out the window in a different direction, according to the court documents.

The Manitou Springs Police Department reportedly rushed to the 400 block of Manitou Avenue after reports of multiple shots being fired and found the child dead in the parking lot.

Perez and Ashlynne were taken into custody and are currently in the El Paso County Jail.