HORRIFIC

Florida Toddler Fatally Shot Himself With Gun He Found in Unlocked Case

Police say the shooting occurred on Wednesday at a home in the Lamplighter Mobile Home Community.

A Florida toddler is dead after police say he accidentally shot himself with a gun he found inside an unlocked case. The Gainesville Police Department said that on Wednesday afternoon the 3-year-old child was playing with the firearm inside a home in the Lamplighter Mobile Home Community when the gun went off. Two other minors were present at the time of the incident and Detective Squad Sgt. John Pandak told WGFL that the toddler’s parents were not home at the time of the shooting. The child was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. “The fact that he got a hold of it obviously meant it was in an area that shouldn’t have been,” Pandak said. “However, you know, how it got there and why it was there was still being determined.”