A child under the age of 10 has tragically lost their life in what has been described as an accidental shooting in West Columbus, as reported by ABC6. The Columbus Police Department arrived on the scene shortly after 8:30 p.m. yesterday, on the 1500 block of Grandview Avenue, near Grandview Heights. It was there that they found a young child who had allegedly shot themselves with an unattended firearm.
A child who is younger than 10 shot themself and died. The gun was left unattended, stated the Columbus authorities, who are treating the incident as a horrific accident. The police have not confirmed any arrests or identified potential suspects as of yet. The lack of supervision and an unlocked firearm culminated in a fatal occurrence that could have been prevented with proper firearm safety measures. This event marks a somber echo in the community, coming less than a week after another child was shot in an apparently accidental incident.
In the wake of this event, WBNS documented another incident that occurred last Wednesday, October 22, where a boy was hospitalized following a gunshot wound inflicted in what was also believed to be an accidental shooting. In that incident, a 27-year-old man was charged with negligent assault after a family member accidentally discharged a handgun.
Adding to the community's burden, NBC4i reported that Sgt. Joseph Albert from the Columbus Police highlighted the dire need for gun safety in homes. "We say this all the time, you have to lock up your guns," Albert said. "Children are curious; children want to know what it is. We tragically have seen this before in our city. We need this to stop. We need to not have another child lose their life because of a firearm that’s unattended." Investigation at the most recent scene continues as the community grapples with these tragedies and the stark reminder they offer concerning the importance of firearm security in households with minors.
.jpg){kind=link}