SANTAQUIN, Utah (AP) — A small town south of Salt Lake City is mourning the death of a 5-year-old boy who accidentally shot himself with a handgun he found in his parents' bedroom.
The boy found a 9 mm handgun in the back room of his house Thursday afternoon and fired a single shot to the head, said Lt. Mike Wall with the Santaquin Police Department. The boy’s parents, and possibly one of his siblings, were inside the home when the shooting happened but were not with him in the room. The father went into the room as soon as he heard the gunshot and started CPR, but the boy died at the scene.
Wall said authorities do not suspect foul play, and charges against the parents are not currently being pursued. He declined to say if or how the weapon was secured. The investigation, which will include a report by the medical examiner, could take several months.
Police have not released the names of anyone involved.
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 ensure the safety of children.
“This heartbreaking incident has taught us difficult lessons, and we deeply regret that it unfolded this way. Our hearts are shattered, and we hope that our family’s loss serves as a poignant reminder of how quickly life can change,” the statement read.
The tight-knit town of about 14,000 people 60 miles (96 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City is one of the best anyone could ask for when it comes to support, Wall said.
“The family obviously is devastated. ... Obviously it's a shock to the community. It's always a good reminder of how quick things can happen and how fast accidents can take place,” he said.
Utah does not have any laws to penalize someone for failing to secure an unattended firearm and leaving it accessible to an unsupervised minor, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. The state also does not require unattended firearms to be stored in a certain way or require a locking device to be sold with a firearm.
A mother in Kansas was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday after leaving a loaded 9 mm handgun on a couch before her 2-year-old son fatally shot his 4-year-old sister.