A heartbreaking scene played out for a family in central Florida when a 3-year-old boy died after accidentally shooting himself with a gun he found in the home.
NBC affiliate WESH-TV reports the shooting happened at a home near DeLand when the child was being watched by his 16-year-old sister and 8-year-old brother.
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Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, who was visibly emotional about the incident during a news conference Thursday, said the gun belonged to the child's father — a state corrections officer. Chitwood said the gun did not have a trigger lock and was not stored in a safe.
Chitwood said the child, who was not identified, found the loaded gun on a nightstand in the master bedroom. The child picked up the gun, turned it toward himself and pulled the trigger at point-blank range.
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The child's sister called 911 and the parents raced home, according to Chitwood. Deputies and paramedics performed CPR, but the child did not survive.
"This is going to be something that is career-altering and life-altering," Chitwood said.
The Volusia County State Attorney's Office will decide if any charges will be filed in connection to the death.
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Chitwood said there was a gun safe in the bedroom, but it was “inoperable.” Investigators will look into how long that safe was unusable.
"I cannot imagine there's anything in the law books that can punish that family more than what happened last night," he said.
Chitwood had strong words about securing guns inside homes.
"You want to own guns, go out and do the right g**damn thing so we don't have to deal with another 3-year-old shooting himself," Chitwood said.
