4-year-old finds unsecured gun, fatally shoots 2-year-old boy in Florida

A 4-year-old boy shot and killed a 2-year-old boy after finding an unsecured gun inside a vehicle in Florida, according to officials. The two children were members of a family that had just arrived from Georgia for a visit.

The shooting happened just before 4 p.m. Sunday at 2649 Scrapbook Street in Kissimmee. Deputies found the 2-year-old with a gunshot wound and provided emergency aid before he was taken to Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.

Osceola County Sheriff Chris Blackmon said the two boys were inside the vehicle when the 4-year-old found the gun and discharged it. The family had just arrived from Georgia for a visit.

The gun was unsecured and lying out inside the vehicle, according to Blackmon. It was not inside a holster or otherwise secured in a way that could have made it more difficult for the child to fire.

Blackmon said charges are likely, but investigators are still in the early stages of the case. The sheriff’s office was meeting with the state attorney on Monday to discuss the case.

The sheriff’s homicide unit is investigating. The medical examiner’s office and the state Department of Children and Families were also notified.