The family of a five-year-old Utah boy is in complete shock after the child was found dead after accidentally shooting himself in his parents’ bedroom.
The boy, identified by his family as Brooks Thomas Wilson, found a 9 mm handgun in the back bedroom of his home Thursday afternoon and fired a single shot into his head, police said.
The boy’s parents, and possibly one of his siblings, were inside the home when the shooting occurred, but were not in the room with him.
The father entered the room as soon as he heard the shot and began CPR, but the boy died at the scene.
Authorities do not suspect any foul play and no charges have been filed against the parents at this time.
The family of 5-year-old Brooks Thomas Wilson from Utah is in complete shock after the boy was found dead after accidentally shooting himself in his parents’ bedroom.
The boy’s parents, and possibly one of his siblings, were inside the home when the shooting occurred, but were not in the room with him.
Lt. Mike Wall of the Santaquin Police Department declined to say whether and how the gun was secured.
The investigation, which will include a report from the medical examiner, could last several months.
Kristin Wilson, the boy’s mother, is a local preschool teacher. She and her husband Bryan have four children, including Brooks.
A statement released Friday and attributed to the “Wilson and Hunsaker families” described the shooting as “an unimaginable tragedy” that serves as a reminder to take precautions to ensure the safety of children.
“This heartbreaking incident has taught us difficult lessons and we are deeply sorry that it happened this way. We are heartbroken and hope our family’s loss serves as a painful reminder of how quickly life can change,” the statement read.
They described young Brooks as someone who “lived his life to the fullest and always wore his heart on his sleeve” in an obituary.
The close-knit city of about 14,000 people, located 60 miles south of Salt Lake City, is one of the best anyone could ask for in terms of support, Wall said.
“The family is obviously devastated… It’s obviously a shock to the community. It’s always a good reminder of how quickly things can happen and how quickly accidents can occur,” he said.
Kristin Wilson, the boy’s mother, is a local preschool teacher. She and her husband Bryan have four children, including Brooks.
Neighbors hug each other after a 5-year-old boy accidentally shoots himself with a gun he found in his parents’ bedroom in Santaquin, Utah
The Wilsons have started a Gofundme To support our family during this time, any contributions will go towards covering funeral expenses.
Utah has no law penalizing someone for failing to secure an unattended firearm and leaving it accessible to an unsupervised minor, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
The state also does not require unattended firearms to be stored in a certain manner or require a locking device to be sold with the firearm.
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