A 6-year-old boy died Tuesday afternoon after what authorities are calling an accidental shooting inside a Montgomery Village townhome. Montgomery County police and fire crews were dispatched around 2:45 p.m. for reports of an unresponsive child. First responders found the boy with a gunshot wound to the face and, despite life-saving efforts, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said the child had been inside the home with one adult when he somehow gained access to a firearm.
Official update from police
In a press release from the Montgomery County Department of Police, officers from the 6th District and Montgomery County Fire and Rescue were called to the 10100 block of Maple Leaf Drive, where they found the child with what investigators described as an "apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the face." Detectives from the Major Crimes Division responded, and investigators said they do not suspect foul play at this time. Police stressed that details remain preliminary and said a further news release will be issued when additional information, including the child’s identity, is available.
What investigators and neighbors said
Montgomery County police spokesperson Shiera Goff told reporters at a news conference, "There’s really nothing that I can say that would, right now, bring comfort to anyone." She said detectives are working to figure out exactly how the boy was able to get to the firearm and added that it is "too early to say right now whether there will be any charges," as reported by WTOP. Neighbors described the area as a tight-knit community and called the loss devastating.
Investigation details
Authorities said they are examining who owned the gun and whether it was licensed or registered, while detectives with the Major Crimes Division continue to piece together the sequence of events, according to local coverage by WMAR2News. Officials have not yet released the child’s name and emphasized that the information available so far is preliminary while the inquiry continues. Investigators are asking anyone with information to come forward so they can fully understand how this happened.
Why secure storage matters
Unintentional shootings by children most often occur in and around homes, and experts say secure storage is the most effective way to prevent them, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. Maryland lawmakers have moved in recent years to tighten safe-storage rules; legislation revised in 2023 updated storage requirements and prohibits leaving a loaded firearm where an unsupervised child could gain access, a violation treated as a misdemeanor that can carry a fine, per the Maryland General Assembly. Safety advocates and pediatric experts say locked safes, unloaded storage and locking up ammunition separately all substantially cut the risk that a child will find a weapon.
What happens next
Montgomery County police said the Major Crimes Division is leading the investigation and will release more information as it becomes available. The department’s press release includes contact details for investigators and Crime Solvers tips. For now, officials are asking the public to give detectives space to complete their work and to reach out to police with any information that might clarify how the firearm became accessible to the child.
