A tragic incident unfolded inside an apartment in Kenwood, where a young boy lost his life after finding and accidentally shooting himself with a gun. The child, a 5-year-old boy, found the firearm in a purse belonging to his sister, 29-year-old Danya Bell, while she was showering, according to Chicago police. The devastating event occurred in the 4400 block of South Greenwood Avenue.
Bell, who is legally permitted to carry a concealed weapon and possesses a firearm owner’s identification card, left her gun in a black zippered purse on a bed, when the boy, later found the gun, and accidentally shot himself in the head around 1:15 p.m. on Sunday. Danya Bell, upon hearing a loud noise emerging from one of the bedrooms, discovered the horrific scene and immediately sought emergency services, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.
Following the shooting the boy was urgently taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where he was initially listed as critical condition but unfortunately, was pronounced dead later that evening at 5:06 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. In the wake of the incident, Bell now faces charges of child endangerment causing death and was taken into custody approximately three hours after the shooting took place.
Bell is scheduled to appear before a court on Wednesday to respond to the charges against her. The event has sparked another discussion about gun safety and the responsibility of firearm owners to ensure their weapons do not become a source of unintended harm, especially to children. The full details of the case are still subject to investigation, but the ramifications of the incident are resonating through the community as they come to terms with the senseless loss of such a young life, NBC Chicago details.
