The family of a Utah young boy who shot himself with a gun he found in his home says it was a horrific accident. The child, whose name was not released, accidentally fired a single fatal shot into his head. Tragically, it appears his family heard the gunfire and found the child dead inside the home.
Santaquin Police Lieutenant Mike Wall confirmed the 5-year-old child's death to the Associated Press and identified the weapon as a 9mm handgun. It is unclear how the child managed to find the gun. His family released a statement explaining they'd learned "difficult lessons" in their time of sorrow.
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There were reportedly adults in the home at the time of the boy's death.
According to the Associated Press, the child and his parents and possibly a sibling were inside their home in Santaquin, Utah, when the gun went off, but they were not in the same room. The boy's father rushed to the child and began CPR, but he was not able to revive his son. The boy died at the scene.
The shooting is under investigation.
Authorities confirmed to AP that the child's death appeared to be an accident, and they are not pursuing charges against the parents at this time. Police will continue their investigation, which could take quite a while to conclude.
In Utah, there are no laws requiring a firearm to be stored in a specific way or requiring a locking device to be purchased with a firearm, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
The parents will likely not be charged.
Per state law, liability does not fall on the parents.
"Utah's law generally does not make adults liable for making firearms accessible to minors but for failing to remove firearms from minors who have violated minimum age laws," Giffords Law Center explains.
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The family released a statement.
AP reported the Wilson and Hunsaker families have shared their grief in a statement.
"This heartbreaking incident has taught us difficult lessons, and we deeply regret that it unfolded this way. Our hearts are shattered, and we hope that our family's loss serves as a poignant reminder of how quickly life can change," the statement reads.
Wall told AP it was a sad day in the small community of 14,000 people.
"The family obviously is devastated. Obviously it's a shock to the community," he said. "It's always a good reminder of how quick things can happen and how fast accidents can take place."
