A 4-year-old boy fatally shot himself while sitting inside a car that was parked outside a Georgia Publix store while his mother shopped inside.
Little Miyell Hernandez got hold of a gun that was left in his mother’s vehicle before he “accidentally shot himself” around 5 p.m. Sunday outside the grocery store located in DeKalb County, police said in a statement.
A 13-year-old relative and an infant were also in the car with Miyell at the time of the tragedy, authorities added.
The child was rushed to a nearby hospital but died from his injury.
No charges had been filed as of Monday, the New York Post reported.
“Our hearts and thoughts go out to the Hernandez family,” said DeKalb County Police Chief Mirtha Ramos. “We’re imploring gun owners to always keep their guns safe and secure.”
After the shooting, the teen who was in the car immediately went inside the grocery store to get help, officials said.
The gun was unsecured inside his mother’s car.
Miyell’s grandmother, April Griffin, said she didn’t know how her grandson got the gun because her daughter didn’t own a firearm.
“He’s innocent and he’s so pure,” Griffin told the newspaper. “Even though he’s not here, we know he went to heaven. We know it.”
An online fundraiser has been set up to help offset Miyell’s funeral cost.
“Keep us in your prayer,” the website reads. “We are asking for love and support to fund a tragic moment for our family … Thank you for your love and support.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Miyell is the sixth child to die from gunfire in greater Atlanta this year. Just days before, 9-year-old Kemoni Mack died after being shot at an apartment complex in southeast Atlanta, where a 16-year-old suspect was charged, police said.