Father arrested after 4-year-old fatally shoots himself in face in South Texas, sheriff's office says
The child allegedly found the unsecured handgun in his father's vehicle.
CAMERON COUNTY, Texas -- A family is mourning, and a father is facing a felony charge after a 4-year-old died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in South Texas, according to the Cameron County Sheriff's Office.
The accidental shooting happened on Oct. 1 when the child's parents entered a store and left him inside the family's car by himself, the sheriff's office said in a release.
According to investigators, the child's father left an unsecured handgun in the center console of the vehicle.
The child then found the gun and accidentally caused it to fire, leading to a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face, the sheriff's office said.
Later, investigators were called to the Harlingen Medical Center, and they began investigating how the 4-year-old, who was rushed to the hospital by his parents, ended up shot in the face.
The sheriff's office said it pieced together the tragic incident after obtaining statements, reviewing camera footage, and collecting other evidence.
The boy's father was arrested and charged with criminally negligent homicide 13 days after the fatal shooting, investigators said. They added that his identity was not being released at the moment to provide the family time to heal.
The sheriff's office urged the public to safely secure their firearms in order to help save lives and prevent tragedies.
