3-Year-Old Accidentally Shoots Mother To Death After Gaining Access To 'Unsecured' Gun

A 3-year-old child in South Carolina accidentally fatally shot her mother Wednesday.

Authorities in Spartanburg County said the child had gained access to the firearm, which was 'unsecured', and accidentally shot the 33-year-old woman.

The victim has been identified as Cora Lyn Bush, according to Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger. The woman and her child were at their home when the incident took place.

Deputies were called to the home on South Pine Street about a shooting, WYFF4 reported. Lt. Kevin Bobo with the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office told local media when they arrived at the home, they found Bush along with the child and her maternal grandmother.

Bush was rushed to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, where she was declared dead.

The child's grandmother told the police the minor accidentally shot the woman. Authorities confirmed the grandmother's account of the shooting corroborated with evidence and the injury to Bush.

Bobo said the accidental shooting was a "result of the young child gaining access to an unsecured firearm."

An investigation was currently underway into the incident. Authorities said that an autopsy was scheduled for Thursday, according to WSPA.

The recent incident is a reminder that those with children at home must secure any firearms they possess. A child getting access to a firearm can be dangerous for the minor and others as well.

According to Healhychildren.org, an estimated 4.6 million kids in the United States live with unlocked, loaded guns. In homes with guns, the chances of accidental death by shooting is four times higher.

From 2015 to 2020, there were at least 2,070 unintentional shootings by children that resulted in 765 deaths and 1,366 nonfatal gun injuries.

Earlier this month, a 5-month-old baby was accidentally shot in the hip by a 3-year-old child in Tampa, Florida. The 3-year-old child somehow got access to the firearm and accidentally fired it. The 5-month-old baby suffered non-life-threatening injuries. A 25-year-old woman, who was in the house at the time of the incident, was arrested. It was not clear how the woman was related to the children. "While we're incredibly thankful this infant was not fatally injured, this should serve as a reminder to every parent or guardian to immediately go and check that their guns are properly secured," Tampa Police Chief Mary O'Connor said in the news release at the time. "Children should not be able to access firearms, and moreover, guns should always be stored in a locked safe with the ammo stored separately. Don't put the life of a child at risk by being careless."