A 3-year-old boy is believed to have fired the shot that killed a 1-year-old Sunday in Cleveland with an "unattended firearm," prompting the city's police chief to admonish the public's "fascination" with handguns.
"It’s a sad day for Cleveland," said Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams during a news conference Sunday afternoon. Williams told NBC affiliate WKYC that investigators believe a 3-year-old fired the shot that killed the 1-year-old at a home in the city's east side. The victim, identified as Braylon Robinson, was pronounced dead at the hospital.
"Currently we’re investigating where this firearm came from. We’re also investigating how this tragedy actually happened," Williams told reporters outside of the home Sunday afternoon. "But everybody has to know that this fascination we have with handguns, not just in this city but in this country, has to stop."
"This is a senseless loss of life in this city again, and it’s directly related to guns, and we need to really take a hard look at the things that we’re doing out there on the state, local and the national level to get these guns out of our communities," Williams added. "Nothing good ever happens."
The person or people responsible for leaving the gun unsecured will likely be charged, WKYC reported.
— Elisha Fieldstadt