A 6-year-old boy fatally shot himself in the head with an unsecured firearm on Saturday, according to the Miami Gardens Police Department.
The child's grandmother called 911 after the shooting on the 21000 block of NW 27th Court. The boy's sibling was inside the house, though officials are not sure if the child witnessed the shooting, MGPD said.
Police say gun owners are required by law to keep their weapon in a safe, secure place to avoid getting into the hands of a child. @nbc6 pic.twitter.com/7bbOEKhYif
— Katie Johnson (@Katie_Johnson_) March 16, 2019
The boy was taken to the hospital, but later died.
Neighbors told NBC6 that the victim was a sweet boy who lived in the house with his older brother and grandmother.
Police said the tragedy serves as a life-saving lesson to those with a weapon inside their home.
"If you have a gun, we are asking that you abide by the state laws and secure your weapons. Keep your weapons out of an area where kids can grab a hold of it," said Carolyn Frazer of Miami Gardens Police.
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Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho called the incident "heartbreakingly unacceptable and entirely preventable."
"We all know children and guns don’t mix. Yet time and again kids gain access to unsecured weapons resulting in tragic consequences. We cannot take these incidents as isolated cases," Carvalho wrote on Twitter. "More must be done to prevent these tragedies. There is no time to waste."
Police are now investigating to figure out who the gun belonged to. It's possible that the person may face charges for not properly securing the weapon.
