NC child finds gun in car, shoots and kills 3-year-old brother, police say
A 3-year-old boy was shot and killed by his 5-year-old brother inside a car in Statesville Thursday evening, officials said.
The brother accidentally fired the loaded gun he found inside the family’s car on Fort Dobbs Road, deputies told WSOC, The Charlotte Observer’s news partner.
The gun was legally owned, police said.
When officers arrived, a neighbor was performing CPR on the child, according to an Iredell County Sheriff’s Office news release. The boys’ mother was also home, police said.
The deputy continued until paramedics took the boy to Iredell Memorial Hospital, where he was flown to Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, according to the news release.
The child later died there.
“We make this media release with great sadness. Please remember this family, along with all of the first responders who were at the scene and hospital, and keep them in your prayers in the coming days,” Sheriff Darren Campbell said.
Parents can prevent tragedies like this by using gun locks, which the department provides, he said.
Police are still investigating the boy’s death, and no charges were filed as of Friday morning.
