On the day of Christmas Eve, a two-year and a five-years old were victims of gun accidents. The two-year old killed himself and the five-year old was injured.

In Independence, Missouri, the two-year old was handling a gun when it fired. The child was pronounced dead several hours later.  Police were initially told that there had been a drive-by shooting, but later determined that the boy had found a loaded gun inside the home.  An adult fled the scene at the time of the incident and remains a person of interest.  Local residents reported that the home where the incident occurred has frequently been a neighborhood trouble spot.

In Harris County, Texas a five-year old was shot when a round passed through an apartment wall.  A man in the next unit was unloading a pistol because his own children were nearby when the gun went off.  The five-year old victim was hospitalized in good condition.

Sources:

Betsy Webster, “2-year-old Killed by Gunfire in Independence on Christmas Eve,” kctv5.com (December 25, 2021).

Stefania Okolie, “5-year-old Shot After Gun Discharged from Another Apartment Unit in NW Harris County Deputies Say,” abc13.com (December 25, 2021).