3-year-old Dies After Finding Loaded, Unsecured Gun

In Valley City, Ohio, 3-year-old Maxwell Lamatrice shot himself in the chest with an unsecured gun.  He was airlifted to the hospital where he died. According to the police report, the gun fell off a workbench in the garage.

The report adds that a man can be heard on the 911 call saying, “[y]ou gotta look at me. Oh my God no. Stay with me buddy.”

Friends of the family started a GoFundMe page to help with expenses. The investigation is ongoing, and “[w]hen the investigation is complete, it will be sent to the Medina County prosecutor’s office for review,” the township’s police chief said. No one has been charged at this time.

Sources:

Brian Koster, Julia Bingel, “3-year-old Dies After Accidentally Shooting Self in Brunswick Hills, Police Say,” cleveland19.com (April 11, 2024).

Molly Walsh, “3-year-old Boy Dies in Brunswick Hills After Accidental Shooting, Police Say,” cleveland.com (April 11, 2024).