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6-year-old boy accidentally shoots self with gun found in his bedroom, Kentucky cops say

A 26-year-old man who lived in the home and shared the bedroom with the child, his mother, and three other kids is facing charges, Kentucky cops say.
A 26-year-old man who lived in the home and shared the bedroom with the child, his mother, and three other kids is facing charges, Kentucky cops say. Getty Images/iStockphoto

A 6-year-old boy accidentally shot himself with a gun he found under a pillow in the room where he slept, Kentucky police said.

Officers responded at about 12:45 p.m. Jan. 25 to a report of an accidental shooting at a Radcliff residence, according to a criminal complaint.

Police found the child lying on the floor with a gunshot wound to the head, records show.

During their investigation, authorities learned a 26-year-old man who lived in the home with the boy’s mother and three other kids, kept a loaded gun under the pillow in the bedroom they all shared, according to the complaint.

The man told police he heard the gunshot after leaving the boy alone in the room to bring a plate into the kitchen, authorities said.

He found the boy face down on the bed with a gunshot wound to the head and began applying pressure to the area while calling 911, according to police.

Authorities said the child was alive when emergency responders arrived, but later died from his injuries, WLKY reported.

The three other children and the boy’s mother were in a different room at the time of the shooting, police said.

The man is charged with first-degree assault, unlawfully providing or permitting a minor to possess a handgun, and first-degree wanton endangerment, records show.

Radcliff is about a 45-mile drive south from Louisville.

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This story was originally published January 28, 2025 at 3:21 PM with the headline "6-year-old boy accidentally shoots self with gun found in his bedroom, Kentucky cops say."

Lauren Liebhaber
mcclatchy-newsroom
Lauren Liebhaber covers international science news with a focus on taxonomy and archaeology at McClatchy. She holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Lawrence University and a master’s degree from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Previously, she worked as a data journalist at Stacker.
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