A St. Petersburg, Florida 15-year old accidentally shot and killed himself today while handling a pistol. 

Officials said this is at least the third accidental shooting involving a Tampa Bay area child since the middle of July. Last month, a 16-year-old was killed when investigators said he was accidentally shot by a 15-year-old friend while they were playing with a gun.  Nine-year  old Julian Ali was also killed last month in St. Peterburg in an accidental shooting. 

“Experts said often times in accidental shootings, the people involved don’t realize the guns are still loaded. That’s because even if the magazines are removed, there may still be a bullet in the chamber.”

The state of Florida could, of course, mandate a magazine safety disconnect on all guns, together with a loaded chamber indicator.  It could also do more to mandate safe storage to keep guns out of the hands of children.

Source:

Josh Cascio, “Teen Dies After Accidental Shooting in St. Pete Over the Weekend,” fox13news.com (August 15, 2022).