A tragic incident unfolded in the Duclay area as a six-year-old child lost their life in an accidental shooting involving a nine-year-old. According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO), the incident occurred this afternoon under the care of an adult.
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JSO reported that two kids were inside the home with an adult when one of them fired a gun. Neighbors told Action News Jax that it is a quiet neighborhood, so they were shocked to learn this happened.
Troy Fabon, a neighbor stated, “Very scary because I have two boys myself, but I feel sorry for the family.”
JSO received a call at 2:47 p.m. about a person shot in the 5500 block of Shady Pine Street South. Later updates revealed that the nine-year-old shot the six-year-old once in the head.
Fabon expressed his concerns, saying, “Having that young of age with gun possession is a little bit scary because I said we’ve never had any incidents there, never had any police being called for anything here.”
The six-year-old victim was taken to U.F. Shands Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries and passed away.
Assistant Chief JD Stronko of JSO stated, “Initial investigation determined the 2 juveniles were located inside the residence under the care of an adult. One of the juveniles was able to obtain a firearm and fired a single shot, striking the victim.”
Detectives are still trying to figure out how the nine-year-old got the gun.
Everytown Research and Policy, a group dedicated to gun safety, has statistics from this year. As of August 1st, the nation has witnessed over 230 unintentional shootings involving children. In Florida, there were 14 unintentional shootings that resulted in six fatalities.
Nolan Pniewski, another neighbor, remarked, “It’s extremely unfortunate things like those, you know, got to have that kind of stuff locked up. It’s not a toy. It’s not something to be played with. It’s a weapon.”
Action News Jax law and safety expert, Dale Carson, says there are laws to prevent a firearm from getting into the hands of children.
“You need to keep it locked,” Carson said. “There are securing mechanisms for the handgun. Or you need to keep it in a locked box that only you have access to.”
READ: Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says 6-year-old dead after being shot in the head by another child
A source tells Action News Jax, detectives are interviewing the parent who was inside. No criminal charges have been filed at this time, and there are no outstanding suspects.
Carson says second-degree misdemeanor charges could be filed for failing to properly secure a handgun.
He adds on to say, “It could be a heavier charge if it’s determined the person who was responsible for controlling the firearm, left it in a position where the child could extraordinarily easily obtain the firearm.”
Fabon says in the two years he’s lived in the neighborhood, nothing like this has ever happened. He said, “We do Halloween, we do Christmas decorations, never had issues with anybody, we all know our neighbors across the street and next door to each other, so this is a major shocker to me.”
Details are still developing. As we get more information, Action News Jax will update you on air and online.
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