A 2-year-old Georgia boy died Friday, one day after being shot in the head while he and his 5-year-old sibling played with a stolen gun they found, the Macon Telegraph reported.
The pistol was left in an area of the home that was accessible to the children and found by the 5-year-old, Jones County Sheriff Butch Reece said.
Authorities said the weapon discharged as the two children played with it, striking 2-year-old Kadir Renfroe in the head.
“My heart aches this morning,” the sheriff wrote on Facebook, calling it a tragic accident that should have never happened.
The toddler was pronounced brain dead just before 12:30 p.m., the Telegraph reported.
The children’s uncle, 18-year-old Darius Johnson, who lives at the home, was arrested and charged with reckless conduct, authorities told the newspaper. He also faces a theft charge because the weapon was reported stolen in a burglary two months ago, police said.
Investigators told the paper the gun may have fallen out of Johnson’s pocket as he slept. It’s unclear if he will face additional charges because the child died.
