Duval County

Jacksonville toddler shoots himself in head; police say gun was in bedroom drawer

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A family on the Westside is grieving the loss of a 3-year-old boy after police say he shot himself in the head Sunday.

Police say they believe the gun was in a bedroom drawer.

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Officers arrested Alexander Sibley, saying it wasn’t for the shooting, but because he is a felon who had possession of a firearm.

James Fairley knows the pain of losing a child the same way.

“To know somebody else is going through it, I know it’s very challenging. I can definitely relate,” he said.

In October, Fairley lost his only child, Nay’loni. Police said the 6-year-old was playing with her mother’s gun when she accidentally shot herself in the head.

“It’s still hurting me to this day,” he said.

EveryTownResearch.org reports in January alone, there were three unintentional shootings involving children in Florida. Two were self-inflicted, and the other incident involved a four-year-old that unintentionally shot and killed their two-year-old brother. Last year in Jacksonville, there were six reported unintentional shootings by children, according to the site.

“Sometimes mistakes happen, but we have to be, as parents and adults, more careful,” Fairley said.

Action News Jax law and safety expert Dale Carson says there could be charges for manslaughter in such a situation.

“There is a legal requirement that you keep a gun away from children and store it in a way that a child is not going to get hurt,” he explained.

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Fairley hopes Nay’loni’s story will raise awareness and prevent another tragedy.

“She had a whole life ahead of her, but things happen for a reason. I miss her every day,” he said.

His heart goes out to the family grieving the loss of their little boy.

Action News Jax learned Sibley is being held on a $150,000 bond. He’s due back in court on April 26th.