The young victim was quickly taken care of and admitted to two different hospitals. He did not survive his very serious injury.
A new gun-related tragedy across the Atlantic. On Monday, September 2, early in the evening, an 8-year-old boy died after accidentally shooting himself with a loaded gun hidden under the seat of a car parked in the parking lot of a supermarket in the city of Lehi, in the state of Utah.
At the time of the incident, the little boy was alone in the vehicle while his mother was shopping, according to local media KSL-TV.
Shortly afterwards, police officers on duty intervened and attempted to provide first aid to the boy, who was taken by ambulance to a hospital and then by helicopter to a second facility.
Without success, since the young victim was officially declared dead on Tuesday morning.
Accident
Still speaking to KSL6TV, several witnesses to the events expressed their shock and horror, and recalled a mother in shock.
“She said, ‘He shot himself, he shot himself, he shot himself. He found the gun under my seat and pulled the trigger.’ Apparently it was an accident. It was a complete accident,” he said.
For her part, Ciara Curtis, a gas station employee, recalls a horrific scene. “I came out and saw all this blood. I had napkins, I grabbed a whole stack of them and ran over there,” she recalled.
An investigation has been opened by Lehi police, who have seized the firearm. The investigation will have to determine whether, at the time of the events, the safety catch was on or not, or whether a bullet was in the chamber of the weapon.
