Tragic Accident in Kenwood: 5-Year-Old Boy Fatally Shot After Finding Unsecured Gun

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The shooting happened around 1:17 p.m. in the 4400 block of South Greenwood Avenue in Kenwood, Chicago police said.

The victim, a 5-year-old boy, was inside an apartment at the location when he was shot in the head, police said.

The boy was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in critical condition. He was later pronounced dead. His identity has not yet been released.

In 2023, there were over 400 unintentional shootings by children in the U.S., marking the highest number on record. Each day, approximately eight kids are unintentionally shot or killed due to firearms.

What we know:

A young boy died after he was shot Sunday at an apartment on the city’s South Side, police said.

“The child got a hold of a gun and shot himself,” Pastor Donovan Price said. “The sister called 911 and was driving the child to the hospital from what I understand.”

“When a child is in the house, you know, you have to do everything,” Price said. “It’s like child proofing a house with the, you know, the electrical system in the house. You have to go the extra mile.”

Fact:

Securely storing firearms has been proven to lower the risk of unintentional firearm injuries and deaths. 

• A 78-85% reduction in injury risk: One study found that households locking both firearms and ammunition separately saw a 78% lower risk of self-inflicted gun injuries and an 85% lower risk of unintentional gun injuries among children and teens.

The boy’s family remained at the hospital well into the evening Sunday as relatives came in to say their goodbyes.