In East Harris County, Texas, a heartbreaking tragedy unfolded on Tuesday when a 4-year-old child inadvertently shot his 1-year-old sibling after discovering an unsecured gun in the home.
The 1-year-old was quickly taken to a nearby hospital and is being treated for a non-life-threatening injury. Speaking to KTRK-TV, the father explained that his 4-year-old is fond of playing with toy guns and had likely not realized they had stumbled upon the real thing.
Officials from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office are currently conducting interviews to better understand the situation, with Major Saul Suarez taking the opportunity to remind members of the community to heed gun safety measures. Once the investigation is over, the case will be passed on to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
Roughly two months ago, a similar tragedy occurred in Houston when a 3-year-old accidentally fatally shot their 4-year-old sibling. Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez branded the incident as “very preventable” and implored adults to understand how vulnerable children are to untended firearms.