NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — A 3-year-old boy died after accidentally shooting himself Tuesday night, the Newport News Police Department said.
Newport News police responded to a shooting in the 4200 block of Newsome Drive around 8:16 p.m. When officers arrived, they found a 3-year-old boy suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to the hospital, where he later died.
Officials said the shooting is being investigated as an accidental, self-inflicted incident. Police have recovered one firearm.
A search warrant from the Newport News Fire Department contains a statement from a detective who spoke to the child’s father on Tuesday. The father says he’s an armed security guard who left his gun “unsecured on the kitchen counter and it was in reach of the child." That document also said the boy's father went to his bedroom when he heard a loud pop and ran into the kitchen.
Wednesday, Newport News residents responded and reflected.
"My deepest condolences go out to that family," DJ Jackson, a neighbor, said. "Once you buy a gun and stuff like that and say you have kids, I think it just needs to be an educational part. Like, alright, we need to sit you down for another however many hours or minutes and educate you on how to really operate this gun around kids."
Adrian Cook told 13News Now he saw the aftermath firsthand.
"I got there and saw them bringing the baby out, which was heartbreaking. It's unfortunate.... You can see a man, he came out with officers, he wasn't handcuffed to anything, but you could see the distraught in his face,” Cook said.
Cook leads Let Our Voices Empower, a local youth mentorship organization focusing on non-violent solutions and education. While he understands the frustration about the child's accidental shooting death, he also expressed his thoughts to that boy's loved ones.
"They're hurting, too. How do we bridge that gap? By educating people more by having these conversations about gun safety,” Cook said.
Cook said he’s praying for the young boys' family and that the community can come together to prevent similar deaths of children in the future.
"Let's just say enough is enough. Period. Right. Let's just really start to give love out here. You know, like it doesn't cost anything, right? You know, let's heal." Cook said.
Newport News police say they do provide gun locks to citizens if requested.
Police Chief Steve Drew told 13 News Now: “I too am concerned about the family and the officers who responded to the scene. I want to emphasize that the investigation is currently ongoing and detectives are consulting with the commonwealth’s attorney."