2-year-old dies after shooting self in face with mother’s gun, Georgia police say
A 2-year-old was killed in an accidental shooting after finding his mother’s gun, Georgia police and news outlets report.
It happened at about 8:30 p.m. on April 26 at an apartment in LaGrange, the city’s police department said in a news release. Officers arrived to find a toddler shot in the face.
Authorities identified him as Ayden King. He was rushed to Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center but died.
It’s believed the toddler got ahold of a gun and shot himself, according to police.
“I can’t even put into words what I would feel, much less what (Ayden’s family members) feel,” Lt. Mark Cavender told WANF.
Police said two adults were home at the time of the accident, according to The LaGrange Daily News.
“The children were apparently having dinner,” Chief Garrett Fiveash told the newspaper. “The child wandered away from the table, went to a back bedroom and retrieved the weapon from a purse and the weapon went off.”
Investigators said Ayden’s mother carries a gun for her own protection and had set down her belongings after getting home from work, WANF reported. That’s when her son found it.
Authorities did not say if charges are expected.
The case will be handed to the district attorney’s office once police have finished their investigation.
LaGrange is about 70 miles southwest of Atlanta.
This story was originally published April 28, 2023 at 2:04 PM with the headline "2-year-old dies after shooting self in face with mother’s gun, Georgia police say."