Another tragedy for the reckless use of firearms in the United States of America. And three year old child died, after shooting himself with a 9mm pistol. The gun was kept by his father on his nightstand in his Florida home in Deland, north of Orlando.
The reconstruction of the tragedy: the sheriff speaks
According to the first reconstruction of the tragic episode made known by Mike Chitwood, the sheriff of Volusia County, the little one, together with his 7-year-old brother, had been entrusted by his parents, who had gone to the supermarket, to his 16-year-old sister.
A second handgun found on the kitchen refrigerator
It remains to clarify precisely why the gun was on the bedside table, i.e. in an area easily accessible by the deceased child. The parents told the authorities that the weapon was usually kept in a safe which was found to be broken. Furthermore, a second weapon was also found on top of the refrigerator in the house.
The father is a prison officer, but it’s not about service pistols. “This should never have happened,” said the sheriff who for the moment has not made any charges, explaining that Florida law provides that in the event of accidents with children’s weapons you have to wait seven days for any arrests.
Sheriff’s appeal: “Keep guns safe and away from children and teenagers”
Finally, the sheriff has launched an appeal to families who own guns, inviting them to keep them locked up. “If you have young children, even teenagers, you have to keep them closed,” Chitwood commented.
