Florida teen charged with negligence after 6-year-old dies accidentally shooting himself
Florida police say that a 14-year-old has been charged with culpable negligence after a 6-year-old accidentally shot himself with a handgun in Jacksonville.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said officers on Tuesday evening found a young boy with a "gunshot wound in the facial area" who was pronounced dead on the scene.
"A firearm had been left in a location in which the child was able to access. It appears at this time that after retrieving it, the child ultimately shot himself while handling the loaded firearm," the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office wrote.
Police said an investigation showed the gun "had last been in the possession of a 14-year-old juvenile earlier in the day" and said the minor was subsequently detained, interviewed and later charged with culpable negligence.
NBC News is not naming the boy who is charged because he is a minor.
NBC affiliate WTLV reported that the deceased 6-year-old's parents are currently incarcerated.
One of the child's family members told WTLV his message to the public is "please put away your guns and keep them safely away from kids."
