2-year-old finds gun in relative's bag, kills himself in Texas
Eva Deschamps / September 25, 2021
A 2-year-old boy died Wednesday in Texas after finding a loaded gun in a relative's backpack, a tragically commonplace tragedy in the United States.
The boy was shot in the head and, at this stage of the investigation, appears to have accidentally shot himself, Waco police said in a statement.
The 21-year-old owner of the gun fled after the shooting. He eventually surrendered to police and was taken into custody and charged with concealing evidence. The tragedy is part of a shocking series of similar accidents.
Every year in the United States, hundreds of children access loaded, unsecured guns in closets, nightstands, backpacks or purses, or just left lying around" and unintentionally fire them, according to a recent report by Everytown For Gun Safety.
The organization, which advocates for better gun control, has been tallying these unintentional shooting by minors and their consequences since 2015. According to its count, they have caused 765 deaths in the past six years and 111 since Jan. 1, and injured more than 1,500 people.
The U.S. Constitution provides for a right to bear arms, to which most Americans are very attached, even if it is subject to different interpretations, and 30% of adults own at least one firearm.
Every year, these weapons cause about 40,000 deaths, including suicides, according to the Gun Violence Archive.