3-Year-Old Child Dies After Shooting Self With Gun Found At Foot Of His Bed

A 3-year-old Louisiana boy died after he accidentally shot himself with a gun that was found at the foot of the bed Tuesday.

Bienville Parish authorities were notified about the shooting incident after the mother, identified as Brianna Bissel, rushed 3-year-old Timothy Murphy to Minden Medical Center on Tuesday. However, the child died minutes after arriving at the hospital, CBS-affiliated KSLA reported.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the mother and child were in a travel trailer with the woman's boyfriend, 19-year-old Derome Williams, when the incident took place. All three had gone to bed but the boy somehow managed to get his hands on the gun. The mother drove the wounded child to the hospital, which was about 10 miles away.

Bienville Parish Sheriff John Ballance described the shooting as an accidental discharge of a gun.

"According to statements of the mother and boyfriend and evidence obtained at the scene, no foul play is suspected at this time," the sheriff's office said Wednesday, local television station KTAL News reported.

Authorities said that an investigation report, along with video statements, will be submitted to the Bienville Parish district attorney's office for further review.

It remains unclear who left the gun within close reach of the child. No arrests have been made so far. It is not known if the 22-year-old mother or her boyfriend will be charged.

Jennifer Fredell-Saucier, a firearms instructor and owner of Southern Belle Firearms Training, told WSOC-TV earlier this month that a lot of people think children will be able to distinguish between a real or fake gun. However, children often mistake real guns for toys as they are sometimes hard to distinguish.

"A lot of people look at the situation and they think that the child knows that's a gun. That's dangerous and that's not always the case," she said, adding that gun holders are responsible for the safety of their family and must duly secure them so a child can't get it.

Earlier this month in North Carolina, a 2-year-old boy picked up a gun and accidentally shot his father at their home in Gastonia. The child found the gun lying on a table and began playing with it. The toddler accidentally pulled the trigger and the bullet hit his father, who was sitting on the couch.