A 2-year-old child in Howell, Michigan died from an accidental shooting Sunday evening after accessing an unsecured gun, according to authorities.
The Howell Police Department said that police initially responded to reports of a shooting around 6 P.M.
“It was reported that a 2.5-year-old child had gained access to an unsecured firearm that resulted in an accidental shooting.”
- statement from the Howell Police Department
The child was taken to a local hospital where they were later pronounced dead.
The Howell Police Department and the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, which also responded to the shooting, did not provide additional details about the incident.
It is currently unclear if the child was unsupervised or if their caretaker was present. The shooting is being investigated by the authorities and the results of the investigation will be turned over to the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office once completed. The Sheriff's Office will then decide if any charges are to be filed.
The need for gun control
According to the gun violence prevention nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety, 4.6 million children in the United States live in a home with an unsecured firearm, and an average of 350 children a year are involved in dangerous gun accidents. These incidents often result in children fatally shooting themselves or others.
“Universal background checks and safe storage are long-overdue steps we are proud to take today that will save lives by keeping guns out of the hands of criminals and domestic abusers and children in the home."
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
The Howell shooting also comes less than two months after Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed bills requiring background checks for anyone in the state seeking to buy firearms, and requiring safe storage requirements for all firearms.