In Columbia, South Carolina, two children found a loaded gun in their home and took it outside to play with it in the family car. The gun fired and nine-year old Christopher Scott III, a fourth grader, was killed. The Sheriff’s Department says the death “was an accident due to two children playing with a gun.”  No charges will be filed.

In a release, the sheriff said, “[t]his is a tragic situation and our hearts are broken for this family. We ask the community to keep them in their thoughts. These kinds of accidents happen in an instant and we plead with parents to please, please make sure that firearms are locked up inside the home.”

“A young life taken or lost right before the holidays, anytime would be tragic but certainly during the holidays and two lives … will be impacted,” said the school superintendent.

Sources:

Jessica Mejia, “RCSD: 9 year-old’s Shooting Death Ruled an Accident,” ABC 25 Columbia (December 20, 2022).

Ashley Jones, “School District and Neighbors React to Accidental Shooting of 9-year-old Boy,” wistv.com (December 20, 2022).