GREENVILLE, N.C. – An 8-year-old boy has died after he found a gun and accidentally shot himself in North Carolina, authorities said.
According to WITN and WNCT, the incident occurred about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday on Van Dyke Street in Greenville. A preliminary investigation found that the child “was alone in a family member’s parked car when he gained access to an unsecured firearm,” Greenville police said in a news release. The weapon discharged, striking the boy in the abdomen, investigators said.
The child, who was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, died the next morning, police said.
Although the investigation is ongoing, police believe the fatal shooting was “a tragic accident,” the news release said.
No further details, including the name of the child, were immediately available.
