SOUTHPORT, FLORIDA — A 7-year-old boy is dead after police say his babysitter left a shotgun loaded and next to the back door. One of the boy’s younger siblings got a hold of the gun, and that’s when the tragedy unfolded.
The 7-year-old was bleeding profusely from a gunshot wound when deputies responded to the medical emergency call in Southport. The deputy administered initial first aid to the child until emergency medical personnel arrived and transported him to a hospital.
via newsbreak.com
At the time of the shooting, there were ten children inside the home. The relationship between the children and the babysitter wasn’t immediately available.
The babysitter told police that she was asleep when the shooting occurred, and that she regularly leaves the shotgun loaded and by the door.
The babysitter in this case has shown extreme negligence with the firearm, allowing it to be in a place that was accessible to children. Had this firearm been properly secured, this little boy would still be alive.
A huge part of firearm ownership is the ability to be safe and responsible with firearms at all times, without fail.