4-year old Tennessee child gets loaded handgun and shoots woman to death

Wilson County Deputy Daniel Fanning, age 51, was showing off his guns to another relative in the bedroom of his home in Wilson County, Tennessee, during a gathering, when a 4-year old child, related to him, entered the room.  The child got hold of one of the loaded handguns put on the bed by the deputy and fired it, hitting Fanning's wife, Josephine, and killing her.

From an article:

The shooting occurred while Wilson County Deputy Daniel Fanning, 51, was with another relative looking at guns in a bedroom of the home, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.

The 4-year-old and Josephine Fanning walked into the bedroom where a loaded weapon was on top of the bed, TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm said. The child picked up the gun and fired one round, which killed Josephine Fanning.

Alcohol was present at the gathering, Helm said. Daniel Fanning was not on duty at the time of the shooting.

The gun fired by the 4-year-old was Fanning’s personal weapon and not a police gun, Helm said. The 4-year-old was a relative of Daniel and Josephine Fanning, police said.

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