4-year-old boy finds gun under couch, kills himself with it

Jail records do not indicate whether the father has a lawyer who could be reached for comment.

Data compiled by The Associated Press and the USA TODAY Network in 2016 found that a child was shot to death every other day somewhere in the United States, on average.

Deaths and injuries spiked for children under 5, and were more prevalent in Southern states, the research shows. Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi all ranked in the top 10 states with the highest per capita rates of accidental shootings.

In most cases of children killing themselves with guns, “it’s clear from the facts that they were preventable, and that just makes them even more tragic,” Lindsay Nichols, federal policy director at the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said Monday.

The California-based non-profit provides technical advice to lawmakers, law enforcers, citizens and others trying to curb gun violence.

“I think it’s dependent on our nation’s leaders and policy makers to really make this a priority and recognize that these kinds of tragedies are happening way too often,” Nichols said. “For too many of our kids, their lives are at risk because adults are not doing the responsible thing and properly storing their guns.”

An autopsy on the Georgia child is scheduled.

Jeff Martin, The Associated Press

by Canadian Press

4-year-old boy finds gun under couch, kills himself with it

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