An 8-year-old boy was shot to death in Jefferson County on Thursday afternoon, and the Jefferson County sheriff's office says the gun was fired by the boy's 5-year-old brother.
According to a news release, deputies were dispatched to a residence in the 2700 block of Shannon Valley Road, west of Pine Bluff, after a 911 call of a reported shooting involving a toddler. The 8-year-old boy was found unresponsive inside the home and was pronounced dead at the scene by Jefferson County Coroner Chad Kelley.
The 8-year-old’s body will be sent to the state Crime Laboratory for an autopsy, sheriff’s officials say. Investigators believe the shooting was accidental.
Sheriff Lafayette Woods told The Pine Bluff Commercial that agents with the Arkansas Department of Human Services have taken the children from the home, including four other siblings. They will be placed in the custody of their aunt pending a protocol check, he said.
The agents were sent as a matter of standard law enforcement protocols, according to the release.
Several weapons have also been taken from the home, Woods added. Investigators and prosecutors were trying to determine whether neglect was involved in leaving the weapons within the boys’ reach, which Woods said would determine whether charges would be filed.
“There are some questions unanswered, like how secure the weapons truly were,” Woods said. “The mother said the weapons were secure, but we’re vetting that information now.”
Woods said in the release that the shooting could have been avoided. He called it “tragic,” and emphasized that guns need to be well-secured and kept away from children at all times.
“Gun owners that do not properly secure their firearms are just one split second away from one of these tragedies happening in their home,” he said.
This story has been updated. It was originally published at 5:40 p.m.