Two-year-old Shot and Killed Himself, and a One-year-old Was Accidentally Shot; Both with Unsecured Guns

In Laurel County, Kentucky, a two-year-old boy shot and killed himself with a loaded, unsecured pistol that he found in his home. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The boy and his family have not been identified, and it’s not known how the boy got the gun, as the incident remains under investigation.

And in for the second consecutive day, a one-year-old was shot by their cousin, this time in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.  A 10-year-old boy found a loaded AR-15 pistol and accidentally shot his one-year-old baby cousin. The baby was shot in the arm and is recovering at home. Two woman who live in the home, the children’s grandmother and the 10-year-old’s mother, have both been charged in the incident with failure to store firearms to protect minors causing personal injury. “We just thank God that baby is alive,” said the sheriff. “We can figure out the rest, but now we don’t have to do a death investigation.”

Sources:

Jordan Gartner, “Sheriff: 2-year-old Dies after Accidentally Shooting Himself,” kmov.com (August 10, 2023).

Destinee Patterson, “Sheriff: Child Used Assault Pistol to Shoot 1-year-old Cousin at NC Home,” wral.com (August 9, 2023).