In a troubling incident in South Charleston, two young brothers came into contact with a handgun with dangerous results. The Clark County Sheriff's Office has confirmed that the older child, age 6, shot his 4-year-old brother after they found the firearm in their home. The shooting, which occurred within their residence at the Sunset Court Apartments, happened early Wednesday morning, reported NBC4i.
Law enforcement officials were called to the scene around 6:46 a.m. and discovered the injured child with a grazing bullet wound to the arm. Initially treated on location, he was transported to Springfield Regional Medical Center as a precaution. According to the mother and neighbors, the gun fired and hit some blankets before lodging into the closet's carpet, where the children found the hidden weapon, according to the WHIO report.
No charges have been announced in the unsettling event as the investigation continues. The handgun, a 9mm pistol, was reportedly obtained by the 6-year-old from an area believed to be secure, raising questions about gun safety and the measures in place to prevent such access by minors. Springfield News-Sun reported this.
The Clark County Sheriff's Office is not only probing the incident but also emphasizing the responsibilities of firearm owners. "All of us who own firearms, it's our responsibility to make sure they're secured properly and appropriately when we don't have them on us," Lieutenant Kristopher Shultz informed the public. He added, "There is a responsibility of the owner of the firearms to make sure that they are fully and completely secure," in a statement obtained by Springfield News-Sun. This call for vigilance seems especially pertinent given that another local firearm incident resulted in the death of a teenager just days prior.
