Authorities said the boy’s 4-year-old cousin found an unsecured handgun inside the family’s vehicle near a Kissimmee vacation rental.
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — A 2-year-old Georgia boy was fatally shot during a family trip to Florida after his 4-year-old cousin found an unsecured handgun inside a vehicle, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office said.
Brayden Tennyson, of Louisville, Georgia, was visiting Central Florida with his family to celebrate his third birthday when the shooting occurred shortly before 4 p.m. Sunday, July 12. Investigators said the family had just arrived at a vacation rental in Kissimmee and was outside the vehicle when a gunshot was heard. Brayden was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Osceola County Sheriff Christopher Blackmon said the preliminary investigation found that Brayden had remained in the vehicle while his 4-year-old cousin entered it. The older child then located a handgun that was not locked or secured in a holster, authorities said. Investigators believe the child pulled the trigger, striking Brayden.
The firearm belonged to Brayden’s mother, according to the sheriff’s office. Authorities have not publicly explained why the gun was left unsecured or how long the children were inside the vehicle without an adult. The family has cooperated with investigators, officials said.
Blackmon described the firearm as easily accessible and said the shooting showed the permanent consequences that can follow when a child reaches an unsecured weapon. “Once you pull that trigger, that projectile is going somewhere,” he said during a news conference. “And this one hit a two-year-old and killed him.”
The family had traveled from Georgia for a vacation connected to Brayden’s third birthday, which would have been Tuesday. A fundraising page created for the family said the trip was expected to include birthday candles, laughter and happy memories but instead ended in what relatives called an unimaginable tragedy.
Relatives remembered Brayden as a friendly and happy child who enjoyed playing with other children. The fundraising page was established to assist his mother and help the family return his body to Georgia for funeral arrangements.
The sheriff’s homicide unit is investigating the shooting. The Medical Examiner’s Office and the Florida Department of Children and Families were notified, according to authorities. Officials had announced no arrests or criminal charges as of Tuesday.
Investigators are consulting with the State Attorney’s Office to determine whether the evidence supports charges against an adult. Authorities have not identified any potential defendant or announced when that review could be completed.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office has continued to promote secure firearm storage and has offered free gun locks to residents. Blackmon said a lock could prevent a child from firing a weapon, but the investigation will focus on the specific facts surrounding Brayden’s death.
The case remained under investigation Tuesday, and authorities said any decision about possible charges would follow a review by prosecutors.