11-year-old Finds a Gun in a Closet in His Home

Tracy Smith, age 34, of St. Louis, Missouri was charged with reckless child endangerment after the 11-year-old son of his girlfriend found his loaded gun and used it to shoot and kill himself. The boy, David Winston, took the gun from a purse belonging to his mother that was hidden on a shelf in a closet that he had access to.  Police found Winston unconscious and not breathing with a Taurus .38 caliber revolver lying next to him.

According to a probable cause statement filed in court, both Smith and the boy’s mother told police that Winston “was autistic and was known to get into things and take items when left unsupervised. He was also known to watch TV by himself in the room where the gun was kept. Smith admitted that he didn’t have a gun safe, gun lock or holster, exposing the trigger to anyone who gained access to it.”

“The Tracy [Smith] I know is a good guy. He loved his girlfriend’s four children like those were his kids. He has two sons of his own who are 7 and 8 years old,” a coworker said. “We were all together a couple of days ago talking, laughing and having a good time. Now, I’m going through the motions of losing my brother and his stepson. That’s real heartbreaking,” said Smith’s brother.

Winston is reportedly the 27th child shot in St. Louis already this year. Eight of those children have died.

Sources:

Kelsi Anderson, Travis Cummings, “Man Charged With Child Endangerment, Gun Theft After Boy Fatally Shoots Himself in St. Louis,” ksdk.com (June 2, 2023).

Robert Townsend, “5 On Your Side Uncovers New Details in Self-inflicted Shooting of 11-year-old Boy,” ksdk.com (June 2, 2023).