Curious 3-year-old finds gun and fatally shoots himself in the face, Florida cops say

A 3-year-old boy in the care of his teen sister found a 9 mm pistol and shot himself at “point-blank range” while is parents were shopping, according to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office in Florida.

It happened Wednesday, Feb. 15, at a home in DeLand’s Daytona Park Estates, about 40 miles northeast of Orlando.

Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said the call will be “career altering and life altering” for the first responders, particularly the first deputy on scene who left “covered in blood.”

“Clearly, you have to say it: This should never have happened,” Chitwood said at a Feb. 16 news conference.

“What we’re assuming is the parents go to Publix. Leave the 16-year-old in charge. Probably done it a million and one times. For some reason ... the 3-year-old wandered into the bedroom and got into the end table. And when he got into the end table, he picked the gun out and he turned it toward himself and he shot himself point-blank range.”

The bullet struck the boy in the cheek, officials said.

His identity and the names of his parents have not been released, because the boy’s father is an employee of the Florida Department of Corrections. In addition to the 16-year-old girl, the boy’s 7-year-old brother was also home at the time, officials said.

Investigators say the shooting happened around 6:20 p.m. and it was the sister who placed the first 911 call, telling a dispatcher: “My brother shot himself and he’s not breathing,” the sheriff said.

A deputy arrived within 9 minutes to attempt life-saving measures, but the boy was pronounced dead at 7:03 p.m., after being taken to a hospital, officials said.

An investigation is underway and the findings will be submitted to the State Attorney’s Office to determine actions “appropriate under the circumstances,” officials said.

Among the early findings: The gun is typically kept in a bedroom safe, but the electronic lock was not working properly at the time of the shooting, the sheriff said.

“I cannot imagine there’s anything in the law books that can punish that family more than what happened,” Chitwood said.

This story was originally published February 16, 2023 at 3:36 PM with the headline "Curious 3-year-old finds gun and fatally shoots himself in the face, Florida cops say."