The family of a five-year-old Utah boy is in shock after the child was found dead after accidentally shooting himself in his parents’ bedroom.
The boy, identified by his family as Brooks Thomas Wilson, found a 9mm handgun in the back room of his home Thursday afternoon and shot him once in the head, police said.
The boy’s parents, and possibly one of his siblings, were in the house when the shooting occurred but were not in the room with him.
The father immediately entered the room when he heard the shot and started CPR, but the boy died on the spot.
Authorities do not suspect foul play and no charges are currently being filed against the parents.
The family of 5-year-old Utah boy Brooks Thomas Wilson is in shock after the child was found dead after accidentally shooting himself in his parents’ bedroom
The boy’s parents, and possibly one of his siblings, were in the house when the shooting occurred but were not in the room with him.
Santaquin Police Lt. Mike Wall would not say whether or how the weapon was secured.
The investigation, on which the coroner draws up a report, may take several months.
Kristin Wilson, the boy’s mother, is a local preschool teacher. She and her husband Bryan have four children, including Brooks.
A statement released Friday and attributed to the “Wilson and Hunsaker families” described the shooting as “an unimaginable tragedy” that serves as a reminder to take precautions to keep children safe.
“This heartbreaking incident has taught us difficult lessons and we deeply regret how it turned out. Our hearts are broken and we hope our family’s loss serves as a poignant reminder of how quickly life can change,” the statement said.
They described the young Brooks as someone who “lived his life to the fullest and always wore his heart on his sleeve” in an obituary.
The close-knit town of about 14,000, 60 miles (96 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City, is one of the best places you could ask for support, Wall said.
“The family is obviously devastated. … It’s obviously a shock to the community. It’s always a good reminder of how quickly things can happen and how quickly accidents can happen,” he said.
Kristin Wilson, the boy’s mother, is a local preschool teacher. She and her husband Bryan have four children, including Brooks
Neighbors hug after a 5-year-old boy accidentally shot himself with a gun he found in his parents’ bedroom in Santaquin, Utah
The Wilsons started with a Gofundme ‘To support our family during this time, all contributions will be used for funeral expenses’.
According to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Utah has no laws that punish someone for leaving a firearm unattended, making it accessible to an unsupervised minor.
The state also does not require that unattended firearms be stored in a certain way or that there be a lock on the sale of a firearm.