A 2-year-old boy was fatally shot in Wisconsin after authorities said his 4-year-old sibling found a loaded gun in the center console of their parent’s car.
A person who had been outside walking near the children’s home called 911 to report they found a child who’d been shot the morning of Friday, April 10, according to the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office.
A sheriff’s deputy and first responder tried to save the toddler, but he died of his injuries, the sheriff’s office said in a news release issued later that day.
Authorities have not shared the boy’s identity.
As the sheriff’s office continues to investigate the shooting, the agency said that based on preliminary information, the 2-year-old had been in a car in the driveway of his Fond du Lac County home with his two siblings.
After the children were placed in the car, authorities said that for a “brief” moment, one of their parents went back into their house “to grab an item they forgot.”
In their absence, a 4-year-old sibling discovered a loaded gun in the car, according to the sheriff’s office.
“That firearm discharged, striking a two-year-old sibling victim,” the agency said in the news release. “No one else was injured. The incident was isolated to the driveway of the residence and foul play is not suspected.”
It is possible that criminal charges could be filed in connection with the toddler’s death, according to authorities, who said the boy’s family has been cooperative.
“The family involved is cooperating with investigators, and any criminal charges that may be forthcoming will be determined at a later time upon the conclusion of the investigation,” the sheriff’s office said.
The toddler has been identified through GoFundMe as Crewe Zahradnik, WLUK-TV reported.
The sheriff’s office told the TV station that the agency has seen the GoFundMe page but could not confirm the 2-year-old’s identity due to privacy laws.
“Our hearts are broken as we share the devastating loss of our Crewe man taken far too soon in a tragic accident,” reads the GoFundMe page created by Lauren Ryals for Rachel Zahradnik in support of funeral expenses and other costs related to Crewe’s death.
The page references a “heartbreaking accident” that occurred on April 10.
The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office said in the news release that the agency “extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victim during this difficult time.”
The sheriff’s office also advised the public to keep firearms secured and away from children.
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