3-year old dies from apparent accidental shooting in Killeen, Texas

A 3-year old boy in Killeen, Texas, was shot in the chest in an apparent accident.  He later died from the wound.

From the article:

When officers arrived, they found a boy with a gunshot wound to the chest. He was transported in critical condition to Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center at Fort Hood.

He was pronounced dead at 9:24 a.m. by the attending medical personnel, said Smith. Police have not released the child's name.

The child's death marks the first shooting-related death in Killeen this year. The preliminary investigation indicates that the shooting may have been accidental, according to police reports.

The neighborhood on Boyd Avenue is often filled with children playing outside, especially during the summer, said Nives, adding that she believes she saw the boy playing outside as recently as last week. Her grandson, also 4, asked if he could play with the child, she said.

Nives said she did not hear a gunshot or police sirens Saturday morning. She went outside around 9 a.m. and saw police officers taking photographs, she said.

Though she doesn't know the family personally, Nives said it was a devastating tragedy to lose a child so young. "I don't understand how this could have happened."

News releases don't specify anything further about the cause of death, such as whether it was a self-inflicted wound, what type of gun it was, or how it was stored.

UPDATE (2/26/12):  More details have emerged.  The 3 year old was shot by his 4-year old brother, who had found the loaded 9mm handgun where it had been left on a chest of drawers by their mother.

One should ask:  Why did the mother feel it so necessary to keep a loaded handgun in arms reach when she had two small children with her?  Did she truly feel the benefits of having a lethal weapon around were worth the danger?

The victim, identified as Jordan Kenneth Jones, was shot by his 4-year-old brother, who was playing with a 9-mm handgun inside a home in the 2900 block of Boyd Avenue, the Killeen Police Department reported Tuesday.

The loaded weapon was left on top of a chest of drawers by the children's mother, who thought the handgun was out of their reach.

Emergency personnel took Jordan to Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. A preliminary autopsy listed the death as accidental, reporting that Jordan was shot in the upper chest and neck area.

No charges have been filed in the case, but police continue to investigate the incident.

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.