1-YO Dies After Accidentally Shooting Himself in Head | ‘Terrible Tragedy That Should Have Never Happened'

In another heartwrenching incident, a child accidentally shot himself in the head with a gun that was left unattended in the house. The one-year-old boy from Melvin Drive, identified as Khori Patterson was heavily bleeding and was rushed to the hospital in a police SUV "because the estimated arrival time of the ambulance was going to be too great," reported Newsweek. The child was rushed to an emergency after transferring him to an ambulance on the way to the hospital. Police have confirmed the child's death.

St Louis Metropolitan Police Department, said, "Preliminary investigation revealed the victim got ahold of a firearm within the residence and accidentally shot himself. The Child Abuse Unit assumed the ongoing investigation." According to the reports, there was at least one member of Khori's family who was present when the shooting took place, but it is unclear whether that person was an adult or a minor.

St. Louis Police Department Interim Chief Michael Sack expressed his horror after seeing a little kid losing his life due to the negligence of the family members leaving a dangerous weapon unlocked in the hose in reach of a child. "This is just a terrible tragedy that should have never happened. Guns are inherently dangerous. There are a number of them in our community. All of us who own firearms or who have firearms must be responsible with their care and their use," he added. 

The St Louis Police also tweeted about the accident and posted a tutorial video on how to use gun locks and their importance and where to acquire them. The post read, "Following the tragic death of another child in an accidental shooting, we want to remind you that gun locks save lives! Keep your firearm in a secure location away from children where they cannot locate it. Visit this link to find out where to get one http://shorturl.at/cNUZ5."

"Keeping a gun out of the reach of a small child, while not as safe and secure as a gun lock, is better than leaving it in a low area where a child might be able to access it." Chief Sack said. The interim police chief has requested parents to keep guns or any kind of firearms away from the reach of the children and is promoting free gun locks that people can avail of to keep the children safe even during such situations.

"Gun locks are available for pick up at city firehouses, police stations, and libraries and I urge parents to get involved with Educators For Gun Safety to learn more." St Louis Mayor, Tishaura Jones said. Mayor Jones added, expressing her concerns about the incident that had taken place: "Losing a child is the biggest fear of any parent, and we must do everything we can to protect our babies."

This is not the first case wherein a child lost their life due to guns left unattended in the house. Similar cases have been reported in St Louis where a 12-year-old girl was found dead after she shot herself and her 14-year-old cousin in an accident. The two young girls were streaming on Instagram live from a family party when the accident occurred. 

According to Nationwide Children's, nearly 1,300 children younger than 18 years of age die from shootings every year. 1 in 3 families with children has at least one gun in the house. It is estimated that more than 22 million children are living in homes with guns. Most of the victims of unintentional shootings are boys. They are usually shot by a friend or relative, especially a brother. Nearly 40% of all unintentional shooting deaths among children 11-14 years of age occur in the home of a friend. Adolescents are at a higher risk for suicide when there is a gun in the home.

References:

https://www.newsweek.com/toddler-dies-after-accidentally-shooting-himself-head-1739064

https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/research/areas-of-research/center-for-injury-research-and-policy/injury-topics/general/gun-safetygun-safety

Representative Image Source: Getty Images| Stock Depot