Police: 3-year-old Chicago boy fatally shoots self
WAUKEGAN, Ill. -- Authorities say the gunshot that killed a 3-year-old suburban Chicago boy was self-inflicted.
Police and fire authorities responded to a report of a child shot shortly before 3 a.m., CBS Chicago reported.
Waukegan police say in a statement that the boy found his father’s 9 mm semi-automatic gun on a dresser in his parents’ bedroom when he awoke early Thursday. He took the gun into the living room of his home and accidentally shot himself in the head.
The child was taken to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan, where he was pronounced dead. The Lake County coroner’s office identified the boy as Jeremiah Banks.
Authorities say his father had a valid firearm owner’s identification card.
The police statement said the Lake County state’s attorney’s office will decide later whether charges will be filed. The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is also looking into the shooting.