Five-year-old Boy Shot and Killed by Twin; Two-year-old Shot Himself With Mother’s Gun Inside Car

A five-year-old boy was shot and killed by his twin brother in Decatur, Georgia. The boys found their mother’s gun in a purse inside a bedroom nightstand. Other young children were in the home along with the boys’ mother, Lanecia Bennett, age 25, who has been charged with second-degree murder and cruelty to children. 

And in Miami Gardens, Florida, a two-year-old boy in the backseat of a car, took a gun from his mother’s purse, and shot himself in the leg. His injuries are not life-threatening. Police and the Department of Children and Families are investigating. It’s unclear if anyone will be charged.

Sources:

Jasmina Alston, “DeKalb County Mom Remains in Jail After 5-year-old Son Shot, Killed by Twin Brother,”altantanewsfirst.com (July 24, 2025).

Jolena Esperto, Amanda Batchelor, Michaila Hightower, Roy Ramos, “Police: Toddler Shoots Himself in Leg at Miami Gardens Apartment Complex,” local10.com (July 23, 2025).