Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images
A 5-year-old Chicago boy, whose identity was withheld, died apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. after finding a gun inside his home in Gary, Indiana, police said.
A 32-year-old man is in custody after the minor reportedly grabbed his pistol and suffered a fatal gunshot wound, Gary Police Commander Samuel Roberts said.
The man was supposedly visiting home, and when he entered, he thought he was alone, he put down his gun and fell asleep, however he was woken up by a loud noiserecognizing that it was the detonation of his weapon, reason why he believes that the boy had accidentally shot himself.
He took the boy to a hospital, where he died of his injuries on Wednesday morning.
Officers detained the man, who has not been charged while police continue to investigate the shooting.
For now, Police said investigators are reviewing the evidence and asking the public for leads as they work to determine “if it really was an accident or something else.”
In a statement issued Thursday afternoon, Mayor Jerome Prince said he was devastated by the loss of the boy and emphasized the need for responsible gun ownership to prevent such cases from happening again in the future.
“It is with deep sadness that we mourn the tragic loss of a five-year-old boy due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Prince said in the statement. “This incident is shocking and heartbreaking, and serves as a painful reminder of the urgent need for responsible gun ownership and security measures to protect the most vulnerable.”
The death of the 5-year-old boy is one of four accidental shooting deaths in the region since last July. Wyatt Luczak, 2, of Kouts, died in July 2022 when he grabbed a gun and fatally shot himself.