An 8-year-old boy in Utah tragically died after appearing to have accidentally shot himself with a gun left in his mother’s car.
At a Glance
- The incident occurred in a Maverik gas station parking lot in Lehi, Utah.
- The boy found a loaded gun under the car seat and unintentionally shot himself, police believe.
- He was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries the next morning.
- This is the second child death involving a found gun in Utah County within two weeks.
- Utah has no laws penalizing failure to secure unattended firearms.
Tragic Incident Unfolds at Gas Station
On Monday evening, around 7:40 p.m., a routine stop at a Maverik gas station in Lehi, Utah, turned into a heart-wrenching tragedy. An 8-year-old boy, left alone in his mother’s car while she went inside the store, accidentally shot himself after discovering a loaded firearm under the car seat. The incident has sent shockwaves through the community.
Witnesses at the scene reported hearing a gunshot followed by the mother’s desperate screams. Doug Shields, who was filling up his vehicle at the time, recounted the harrowing moment to local news outlets.
“She goes: ‘He shot himself, he shot himself, he shot himself,'” Mr. Shields said. “And I first thought suicide, and she goes: ‘He found the gun under my seat and pulled the trigger.’ It apparently was an accident. It was a total accident.”
Emergency Response and Investigation
First responders quickly arrived at the scene, with police officers and bystanders attempting life-saving measures. The young boy was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head. Despite efforts to save him, he was later airlifted to another hospital where he tragically passed away on Tuesday morning.
Police stated they believe the shooting was “unintentional and self-inflicted.”
Authorities are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident. The gun was found under a seat in the car, though it remains unclear whether the safety was engaged. At present, no charges are pending against the mother, but the investigation is ongoing.
Another Incident
This heartbreaking incident follows a similar case less than two weeks prior, where a 5-year-old boy in Santaquin, Utah, died after accidentally shooting himself with a handgun found in his parents’ bedroom.
Utah currently has no laws penalizing the failure to secure unattended firearms or requiring specific storage methods or locking devices. This stands in contrast to states like Michigan, which recently charged parents for violating safe storage laws after their 9-year-old son shot himself.
As the community in Lehi mourns the loss of a young life, this incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of proper firearm storage and the need for continued discussions about gun safety, especially in households with children. While the right to bear arms is a fundamental American freedom, it comes with the responsibility to ensure that firearms are stored safely and securely, out of reach of curious young hands.
Sources
- 8-year-old Utah boy dies after shooting himself in car while mother was inside store
- Boy, 8, dies after shooting himself with gun left in mum’s car while she shopped
