A heartbreaking and tragic incident claimed the life of a 12-year old boy after getting accidentally shot by his younger brother. Police reported to the crime scene this week and took one woman under custody for endangering child welfare because according to police reports, the gun was owned originally by the woman.
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A heartbreaking incident reported in St Louis has led to the arrest of one woman after a 10-year old boy accidentally shot his brother this week.
According to KTVI-TV, on Tuesday, March 29, at approximately 7:45 p.m., St. Louis Police officers received a report to the 5600 block of Summit Place regarding a child with a gunshot wound.
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Reportedly, when the officials arrived at the scene, the boy, LaFrance Johnson, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police took a woman into custody for the endangering welfare of a child because according to police reports, the gun originally belonged to her.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, police officers were suspicious that the 10-year old did not shoot his brother deliberately, instead, the gun went off accidentally.
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KMOV-TV reports the two boys were with one of their parents who was getting a haircut at the home on Summit Place when the shooting took place.
As the tragic incident made its way to the public, Maj. Ryan Cousins encouraged gun owners to get gun locks, which will be handed out by St. Louis Police Department officers.
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Cousins informed the public that the officers will teach people how to use the locks correctly.
He told KMOV: "We do understand people are going to own guns, however, to protect these children, we want to ensure these guns are secured safely."
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This heartbreaking incident is followed by a spate of shootings recorded this year in St. Louis involving children handling guns.
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