Utah

5-year-old Utah boy dies from an accidental, self-inflicted gunshot wound

The boy's parents and siblings were inside the home when the shooting happened but were not with him in the room.

Getty Images

File. Handgun in a dark room lit by a single light source

A 5-year-old Utah boy died when he accidentally shot himself with a handgun in a small town south of Salt Lake City on Thursday, police said.

Lt. Mike Wall with the Santaquin Police Department told KSL-TV the boy found a 9 mm handgun in the back room of his house and fired a single shot. The boy's parents and siblings were inside the home when the shooting happened but were not with him in the room.

WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE

>Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are.

They tried to resuscitate him until emergency responders arrived, but he died at the scene. Authorities do not suspect foul play, and investigators are trying to determine how the boy got ahold of the gun.

No other information was released, and a spokesperson for the police department did not immediately respond to a phone message left by The Associated Press on Thursday evening.

Santaquin is about 60 miles (96 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City.

“This is about common sense, reasonable and responsible measures to protect our children, our families, our communities,” President Joe Biden said Friday during a visit to Lewiston, Maine, following the shootings that left 18 people dead.
Copyright The Associated Press
Exit mobile version