Six-year-old Shoots Himself With Father’s Glock

In the master bedroom of a home in Sumter, South Carolina, a six-year-old boy accessed his father’s .45 caliber Glock handgun and shot himself in the face. His mother was in the same room at the time; his father was also at home. The boy is reported to be in stable condition at the hospital. 

According to the chief deputy with the sheriff’s department, the child has autism and is nonverbal. The boy’s father said the gun was kept on a dresser in the bedroom because of “the area they live in and things always happening,” but it is unclear how the boy got possession of the gun. Deputies also found an AR-15-style weapon in the residence. As officials continue to investigate, the chief deputy said that charges of negligence or unlawful conduct toward a child are possible, noting that “the No.1 killer of children is a handgun.”

Source:

Alaysha Maple, “6-year-old is in Stable Condition After Accidental Shooting; Sumter Sheriff’s Office Investigating,”theitem.com (October 14, 2025).