A 3-year-old boy in East Point, Georgia, died Wednesday, July 2, after accidentally shooting himself with an unsecured firearm inside his home, according to local police.
Officers responded to a call on Hawthorne Way and arrived to find the toddler unconscious with a single gunshot wound, 11Alive reported. The child was immediately transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. The firearm, discovered near the child, was confirmed to belong to his father.
Authorities say family members were present in the home at the time of the shooting. Investigators believe the boy went downstairs looking for his parents—who were asleep—and found the unattended firearm, which then discharged as he handled it.
“This is a heartbreaking and preventable tragedy,” said Shawn Buchanan, Chief of Police for East Point, in a statement to Atlanta News First. “Guns and children do not mix. It’s very simple.”
The incident remains under investigation, and PEOPLE has reached out to the East Point Police Department for additional comment.
The emotional toll of the incident has also deeply affected first responders. “It’s such a disturbing scene that many of our officers have opted into counseling, even though it’s only mandatory,” Buchanan said.
Neighbor Marquita Hillman shared her grief with Atlanta News First: “It’s really sad. I hate that it happened. People really need to keep guns away from kids to try to prevent something like this from happening.”
This case adds to a growing number of accidental shootings involving children across the U.S., underscoring ongoing concerns about gun safety and secure storage in homes with minors.
