A heartbreaking event took place on Wednesday evening in Charlotte, North Carolina, when a toddler, aged three, suffered a gunshot wound to his head. Responding to the scene, Officer Caitlin Figueroa found the child in a critical condition, bleeding heavily from his head. Despite the severity of his injuries, the child was alive when the officer arrived.
Mike Allinger, a representative for the Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police Department, stated that preliminary investigations suggest the child may have accidentally shot himself with his mother’s unsecured firearm. The incident reportedly took place within a brief six-minute timeframe around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
The young victim, whose identity has been kept confidential due to his age, was immediately transported to a nearby hospital. Despite the best efforts of the medical team, the child’s injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.
The mother of the child was present during the incident. Allinger disclosed that charges related to the incident are under consideration and could be filed soon. North Carolina is one of the 26 states in the U.S. that have specific laws concerning child access to firearms and secure storage, as per the findings of Everytown for Gun Safety, a research group.
Major Bret Balamucki, during a press conference, underscored the importance of responsibility in the wake of this tragic incident. He stressed the potential consequences of improperly storing loaded firearms and urged everyone to be mindful of gun safety. The investigation into the incident is still ongoing.