Texas boy dies after “accidentally” shooting himself in the head with family member’s gun

A Texas boy tragically died after accidentally shooting himself in the head with a family member’s gun, according to police. The suspect’s identity has not been made public at this time. Just as the name of the victim will not be made public at this time due to his age

Texas boy dies after “accidentally” shooting himself in the head with family member’s gun

On Wednesday around 6 p.m., Waco Police Department officers were called to an apartment complex on reports of a “possible shooting,” according to a press release posted on the law enforcement agency’s Facebook.

When they arrived on the scene, police discovered a 2-year-old boy who had suffered a gunshot wound to the head.

The child was immediately transported to Baylor Scott and White Medical Center-Hillcrest Hospital. He later died, according to police.

While investigating the scene, authorities learned that the child had “located the firearm in a backpack belonging to an adult family,” the news release said. “At this time, it is believed that the victim may have accidentally shot himself with the firearm after finding it.”

Following the horrific incident, police say the adult, to whom the gun belonged, “fled the scene.” The individual, 21, later returned and was arrested and charged with tampering with physical evidence.

The suspect’s identity has not been made public. The victim’s name will not be made public at this time due to his age, according to police.

Approximately 1,300 children under the age of 18 are shot and killed each year, according to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, which reports that 1 in 3 American families with children have at least one gun in their home, resulting in an estimate of “more than 22 million children living in homes with guns.”