SUFFOLK, Va. — The Suffolk Police Department said officers were at a home early Tuesday morning after a 14-year-old boy shot himself accidentally.
The shooting happened shortly before 1:30 a.m. in the 600 block of Kinsey Ln. Police said the boy shot himself in the leg.
“It’s tragic what happened to the young man," Lt. Gary Myrick said.
Myrick said he got a call about the shooting right after it happened.
“It happened at a time where it can be a little difficult to close your eyes again and go back to sleep because you really want to know the answers and to make sure that child first gets to sustain their life," Lt. Myrick said.
He said the police department has resources available to teach people about gun owner safety around children.
“In most cases, and I’m not saying it’s in this case, but sometimes it comes down to just putting the weapon away and securing it and taking the extra steps to do that," said Lt. Myrick.
A member of a gun education advocacy group in Suffolk called Moms Demand Action said this type of shooting is reckless.
“We ask for people to lock their firearms in a safe and lock their ammunition separately because we know that if children or teenagers get their hands on weapons and the result is usually something catastrophic," Tara Hassan-Taylor with Moms Demand Action said.
Investigators said the boy is expected to be okay.
Suffolk police said since this case involves a teenager, Child Protective Services is also investigating the incident.
Tim Kelley, a spokesman for Suffolk, said officers secured the gun.
There was no word on whether anyone in the home will face charges for the shooting injury.