Boy, 6, dies after being shot in the head by a nine-year-old child while an adult was with them at their Florida home
- A six-year-old boy was shot to death by a nine-year-old in Jacksonville, Florida, on Monday
- Police believe an adult was present with the children, along with a third child, also nine years old
- The incident occurred around 2:45 p.m. at a house in the Duclay neighborhood on Shady Pine Street South
A six-year-old boy was shot to death by a nine-year-old in Jacksonville, Florida, on Monday.
The incident occurred around 2:45 p.m. at a house in the Duclay neighborhood on Shady Pine Street South.
Police believe an adult was present with the children, along with a third child, also nine years old.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Assistant Chief JD Stronko said the victim, who was shot in the head, was taken to the hospital but tragically died.
“The initial investigation showed that the two youths were in the residence under the care of an adult,” Stronko said.
A six-year-old boy was shot to death by a nine-year-old in Jacksonville, Florida, on Monday
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Assistant Chief JD Stronko (pictured) said the victim, who was shot in the head, was taken to hospital but tragically died
“One of the youths managed to get hold of a firearm and fired a single shot at the victim. There is no indication of criminal violence.’
The names and relationships of those involved have not yet been disclosed and the investigation is ongoing.
Police said the adult present had been taken in for questioning but no charges had been filed.
Neighbors told News4Jax of their heartbreak in the aftermath of the incident.
‘It’s terrible, terrible. It breaks my heart,” said an anonymous neighbor.
“I always tell my kids and teach them not to touch my gun,” the neighbor explained.
Neighbors told the broadcaster that the house had been rented out several times and that they were not sure who the current residents are.
According to data from the Florida Department of Children and Families, three more children have died this year as a result of accidental shootings in Florida.
The incident occurred around 2:45 p.m. at a house in the Duclay neighborhood on Shady Pine Street South
In February, a three-year-old child in Volusia County died after accidentally shooting himself when he gained access to the weapon.
Just a few weeks later, a four-year-old Orange County child died after accidentally shooting himself when he picked up a gun while visiting his father and his father’s lover.
The most recent incident until Monday was when a two-year-old child in Broward County was pronounced dead after she suffered a gunshot wound while playing with the loaded weapon.
Fifteen children have also been shot in Jacksonville this year, according to News4Jax data.
A Nationwide Children’s Hospital representative told the broadcaster that parents are not doing enough to prevent children from accessing their guns.
“If your child is going to visit a friend or relative’s home, ask, ‘Are there any firearms in the house? And if so, how are they stored?'” Nichole Michaels, a principal investigator with The Center for Injury Research and Policy at the Nationwide Children’s Hospital, advised.
“Normalizing it so that parents ask about firearms the same way they ask about allergies in the house or pets in the house, you know, just making those conversations very normal can go a long way toward, you know, openness to these discussions and preventing these tragedies,” she added.