A 6-year-old in Florida was fatally shot by a 9-year-old, according to local authorities.
The victim was taken to the hospital Wednesday afternoon, but ultimately pronounced dead, Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Assistant Chief J.D. Stronko said. The victim was wounded in the head with a single gunshot, he said.
An adult was present in the home at the time of the shooting, but authorities could not disclose the relationship between the adult and the children or the relationship between the two children under Florida’s victim privacy protections, Marsy’s Law, according to Stronko.
The investigation is ongoing, but authorities have not found any indication of criminal violence, according to the sheriff’s office.
The incident is not the first involving a young child and a gun in recent months. In Virginia, the mother of a 6-year-old who police say intentionally shot his first-grade teacher pleaded guilty to child neglect on Tuesday.
In July, a 17-year-old boy was arrested and charged with murder after shooting a 14-year-old to death in East Harlem.
Gun violence remains a leading cause of death among Americans. In 2023, more than 26,000 people have died from gunshot wounds, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
