Police in St. Clairsville, Ohio have released few details about the shooting death of a two-year old in that community other than to make clear that the incident was accidental. “The only info we are releasing so far is there was an accidental discharge of a firearm that has resulted in the death of a 2-year-old boy,” the Police Chief told a local newspaper. He added that the incident remains under investigation as of Monday.  No charges have been reported.

For his part, the County Prosecutor said, ““[t]here is [sic] a million different scenarios that one can envision. There are a number of different scenarios that would need to be interpreted.”

Similarly, in Suffolk, Virginia, few details have been released about the shooting death of a four-year old boy. The boy’s stepdad, Antonio Melton, has been arrested and charged with murder. According to the criminal complaint, Melton told detectives “he was removing the magazine from a handgun when it fired a single round. The round traveled through the wall and hit the child.”

Sources:

Robert A. DeFrank, “Police: Child, 2, Dies in Accidental Shooting in St. Clairsville,” The Intelligencer, Wheeling News-Register (September 27, 2022).

KaMaria Braye, Richelle Hamiyel, “4-year-old Boy Fatally Shot in Suffolk, Stepdad Charged With Murder,” wavy.com (September 27, 2022).