Arkansas boy, 8, accidentally shot dead by brother, 5: Sheriff says tragedy ‘could have been avoided’
- It’s not clear if the parents were home at the time of the shooting, but several guns were stolen from the home
- Investigators and prosecutors are now trying to determine whether neglect was involved and whether charges would be filed, officials said
- Four other children were in the home, but it’s unclear where the other children were at the time of the fatal shooting
- The Arkansas Department of Human Services was brought in to review the well-being of the other children in the home and to assess conditions
- The children will be placed in the care of their aunt pending a protocol review, the sheriff’s office said
An 8 year old Arkansas The boy was shot dead by his five-year-old brother in what the sheriff believes was a tragic accident.
Four other children were alone in the house with their mother when the shot rang out and killed the 8-year-old. KARK4 news reported.
Several weapons were stolen from the apartment.
Jefferson County Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr. said they are trying to determine how safe the guns really are. Arkansas Online reported.
“How safe were the guns?” asked Woods during an interview with KARK4 News. “If the guns are reported to be safe, how did a five-year-old manage to get the gun in his hand and shoot it and fire it?”
The sheriff added, “The mother said the guns were safe, but we’re now verifying that information,” Arkansas Online reported.
Investigators and prosecutors are now trying to determine whether neglect was involved and whether charges would be filed, Woods said.
Around 2 p.m. Thursday afternoon, deputies from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department responded to a 911 call about a shooting involving a toddler at a home on Shannon Valley Road in Jefferson County (pictured). When officers arrived, they found the 8-year-old boy unresponsive. When the coroner arrived, the boy was pronounced dead
The Arkansas Department of Human Services has been called in to review the well-being of the other children in the home and to assess conditions, officials said.
Authorities said the children would be placed in the care of their aunt pending a protocol review.
Sheriff Woods said the harrowing incident “could have been avoided”.
“I cannot stress enough that guns must be properly secured and kept out of the hands of children and away from children at all times,” Woods said.
“Gun owners who fail to properly secure their firearms are a split second away from having one of these tragedies happen in their home.”
Around 2 p.m. Thursday afternoon, deputies from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department responded to an 911 call of a shooting involving a toddler at a home Shannon Valley Road in Jefferson County.
When officers arrived, they found the 8-year-old boy unresponsive. When the coroner arrived, the boy was pronounced dead.
The boy’s body was sent to the state coroner’s office for an autopsy while investigators from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office continue the investigation.
Distraught family members gathered outside the home after the tragedy, KARK News reported.
When DailyMail.com contacted the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department for more details, they did not respond to our request for comment.
