The shooting appeared to be "unintentional and self-inflicted,"​ police said in a statement.

An 8-year-old boy has died after accidentally shooting himself with a loaded gun left in a car while his mother was inside an Utah convenience store, police said.

The boy was alone in the car about 7:40 p.m. Monday in Lehi — a city about 30 miles south of Salt Lake City — when he shot himself in the head, Jeanteil Livingston with the Lehi City Police Department confirmed to CBS News. The incident occurred in a vehicle located in the parking lot of a Maverick gas station, police said.

The boy was taken to a local hospital in extremely critical condition. He was later airlifted to a hospital up north and died Tuesday morning, police said.

    • Jo Miran@lemmy.ml
      482·
      11 months ago

      I am going to guess that the loaded gun was in the car for “protection”. You know, against the rampant carjacking epidemic currently crippling Lehi, Utah. /s

      • Confused_Emus@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
        151·
        11 months ago

        Ah, well at least the car wasn’t stolen. Gotta find those silver linings in every tragedy. (/s for the context-illiterate.)

      • Corhen@lemmy.worldEnglish
        13·
        11 months ago

        yep, good thing the gun was there to keep her safe, i bet her son really appreciates that.

        God these news articles, and the insanity in the USA, makes me angry.

        In a woodworking group im part of, people show off their home made, wood gun racks, which are scary enough, but once in a while someone posts a picture of a full gun room, with hundereds of long arms on the walls. Often people say “i bet this guy is scared of nothin”

        This guy is fucking terrified. I always compare it to a fire extinguisher: You go to a friends house, and they have a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, they are sane.

        You go to a friends house, they have 6 fire extinguishers in every room, including the bathroom: they are terrified.

    • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
      397·
      11 months ago

      I have them secured where they belong in a locked gun safe in a museum to teach people the wrongs of our past.

    • Mr_Blott@feddit.uk
      354·
      11 months ago

      I can’t imagine needing a loaded weapon because I’m not a fucking coward that’s scared of my own shadow

      • Dkarma@lemmy.world
        442·
        11 months ago

        Well you’re in the UK so cowardice is pretty standard over there, regardless.

        • Mr_Blott@feddit.uk
          232·
          11 months ago

          I’m not in the UK, thanks

          But I’m still not cowardly enough to own a handgun because I’m not a quivering fucking shitebag

    • Boomer Humor Doomergod@lemmy.worldEnglish
      221·
      11 months ago

      Unless idiots are allowed to keep fully loaded weapons within easy reach of children the government will start throwing us into internment camps.

      /s