8-Year-Old Texas Boy Shot And Killed After Brother Accidentally Fires Shotgun

An 8-year-old boy from the Houston area was accidentally shot and killed by his 10-year-old brother, who was playing with a shotgun in their family home.

The incident occurred Monday at approximately 3 p.m. at the Bear Creek Apartments, 20 miles west of downtown Houston.

At the time, the boy was home alone with his two siblings, who are 13 and 10 years old. The child was hit in the torso in the only bedroom of the home and pronounced dead at the scene.

"A child was playing with a shotgun when it discharged and struck his sibling," Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a statement.

"The child was pronounced deceased at the scene. A teen sibling was also in the apartment at the time but was not injured."

Preliminary reports state that the 10-year-old was in possession of the shotgun when it went off and struck the 8-year-old in his upper torso.

Police revealed they were unsure whether the shotgun was already loaded or if the sibling loaded the weapon.

The family of the victim is believed to have recently moved to the Houston area from Venezuela and were in the process of enrolling the children in school.

During a press conference addressing the shooting, Gonzalez said the incident could have been avoided if the proper safety measures were taken.

"We know the family is extremely devastated by what has occurred out here this afternoon," Gonzalez said.

"I always even struggle to say it's accidental because [incidents like] these are truly preventable ... if [a gun] is going to be in the home, especially if kids are going to stay in the home, it needs to be safely secure or not in the home."

The parents of the children could face charges pending further investigation. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the child's death remains ongoing.

"We always encourage responsible gun ownership and safe storage," Gonzalez said.

Free gun locks are available to residents through an application on the Harris County Sheriff's Office website.