HOUSTON – A 3-year-old boy is dead after shooting himself in a northwest Harris County home, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
The shooting was reported about 12:30 p.m. at a home in the 6400 block of Skyview Drive.
In a press conference, Gonzalez said the boy was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition but was later pronounced dead.
According to a tweet by Gonzalez, a preliminary investigation indicates the child got ahold of a loaded gun that was inside the home and shot himself.
At least two adults and four to five children, from infants to teens, were in the home at the time of the shooting, according to the sheriff.
@HCSOTexas units responded to the 6400 blk of Skyview. Preliminary info: a 3-yr-old child with gunshot injury. The circumstances surrounding the shooting are unknown. Two adults and several other siblings were in the home at the time of the incident. Being Lifeflighted #HouNews pic.twitter.com/mWmNB1g5cI
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) November 1, 2019
The weapon used in the incident has been recovered, Gonzalez said.
No charges have been filed, but Gonzalez said that everybody is under investigation.
"No excuse for a child to gain access to it. It's against the law. You can be prosecuted," he said. "We'll have to determine if it could have been intentional or accidental."
Gonzalez said a child gaining access to a gun is the second-leading cause of death in America.