A 3-year-old boy in Florida died after he accidentally shot himself with a gun he found in an unlocked case, police said.
The shooting happened Wednesday just before 6 p.m. at a residence in the Lamplighter Mobile Home Community in Gainesville.
A preliminary investigation found that the child, who has not been identified, was playing with the firearm when it went off and struck him. The child died at a hospital.
Two other juveniles witnessed the shooting, the Gainesville Police Department said in a Facebook statement.
Detective Squad Sgt. John Pandak told local station WGFL that an adult was also at the home but it was not the child's parent. The boy's parents were not there when the shooting happened.
"The fact that he got a hold of it obviously meant it was in an area that shouldn’t have been," Pandak said. "However, you know, how it got there and why it was there was still being determined."