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5-year-old US boy finds gun in parent's bedroom, accidentally shoots himself dead: ‘Our hearts are shattered’
Authorities didn’t suspect foul play and decided not to press charges against the parents. Social media, however, claimed that they should be held accountable.
A tragic incident rocked a small town south of Salt Lake City after a 5-year-old boy accidentally shot himself to death with a gun he found in his parents’ bedroom. The harrowing incident has shocked people.
DailyMail posted a video about the incident. “A Utah family left devastated after their 5-year-old boy shoots himself dead. Brooks Thomas Wilson was found with a 9 mm handgun on Thursday afternoon and a single gunshot wound to the head, police said,” the outlet wrote.
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“The boy’s parents, and possibly one of his siblings, were inside the home when the shooting happened but were not with him in the room. The father went into the room as soon as he heard the gunshot and started CPR, but the boy died at the scene. Authorities do not suspect foul play, and charges against the parents are not currently being pursued,” they added.
The post has gone viral and prompted people to share varied comments.
Here’s how Instagram users reacted to the post:
“Sorry, but the parents should be held accountable or take some responsibility for negligence. Their child should have absolutely no access to firearms,” posted an Instagram user. “If you keep a gun at home, make it inaccessible to children. Poor baby. How sad,” added another.
“The parents are super irresponsible. Totally to blame. That poor boy,” commented a third. “America has a lot to answer for. The parents should absolutely be held accountable,” expressed a fourth. A fifth person wrote, “I blame parents for their negligence on having a gun which was reachable to a small kid… mom and dad needs to be interrogated thoroughly!”
A statement by the family:
"Losing a cherished member who will be deeply missed. However, through our faith in Jesus Christ, we will get through this trial, as we feel his love so abundantly," the family issued a statement after the incident, reported People.
"We extend our heartfelt gratitude to those who responded and to the community for their overwhelming support and compassion," the family continued, adding, “This heartbreaking incident has taught us difficult lessons, and we deeply regret that it unfolded this way.”
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"Our hearts are shattered, and we hope that our family's loss serves as a poignant reminder of how quickly life can change," the family expressed while sharing that it is an “unimaginable tragedy”.
The incident also prompted a discussion on gun laws in the US. While most agree that the parents should be held responsible, others added that these kinds of situations could be reduced by limiting access to firearms to individuals.
