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Florida 6-year-old fatally shot in the head by 9-year-old playing with gun 

When police arrived at the scene they found an adult and two children, a nine-year-old and a six-year-old that had suffered a gunshot wound to the head

Child grabbing gun
Child grabbing gun | Shutterstock

August 16, 2023 8:41am

Updated: August 16, 2023 8:41am

A Florida six-year-old boy was fatally shot on Monday by a 9-year-old who was playing with a loaded gun that fired, authorities said. 

Police officers responded to a call reporting a gunshot wound at the 5500 block of Shady Pine Street South in Jacksonville, Florida at around 3 p.m. local time, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. 

When police arrived at the scene they found an adult and two children, a nine-year-old and a six-year-old that had suffered a gunshot wound to the head, said Assistant Chief J.D. Stronko at a news conference. 

"Initial investigation determined the two juveniles were located inside of the residence in the care of an adult," Stronko said. "One of the juveniles was able to obtain a firearm and fired a single shot striking the victim. There is no indication of criminal violence."

The six-year-old was rushed to the University of Florida Shands Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. 

Police are investigating the tragic incident. It is still unclear how the nine-year-old got a hold of the loaded gun or whether the weapon was kept under lock at the house. 

The adult that was supervising the children at the time of the incident was taken to a local police station for questioning, Stronko said. He has not yet been identified and his relationship to the children has not yet been disclosed. 

"We're trying to get some answers to the specifics regarding the incident," Stronko said.

“There is no indication of criminal violence related to this incident, and there are no outstanding suspects,” Stronko added.

So far, no charges have been pressed regarding the incident. 

This year, there have been at least 240 unintentional shootings by children in the country, resulting in 88 deaths and 160 injuries, according to the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety.