A 3-year-old boy found a gun in the back seat of his family's car Saturday in Illinois and allegedly shot and killed his mother with the weapon on accident, according to a report.
Police shared that the incident happened after Dejah Bennet and her boyfriend arrived at a Food 4 Less supermarket in Dolton, a Chicago suburb, at around 8:30 p.m., WLS reported.
The child was in the backseat of the car in the parking lot when he found the firearm and started to play with the gun.
It was then that the weapon discharged, and a bullet struck Bennet in the neck, police reported.
Bennet was quickly taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead.
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Romell Watson, the father of the child, has been arrested and charged with a misdemeanor gun charge following the incident, WLS reported.
Dolton Police Chief Robert Collins Jr. said that Watson would be released on Monday evening after being charged and processed, the Associated Press reported.
Cook County prosecutors are working with investigators to determine if any further charges should be brought against Watson, according to Collins. He also shared there was no indication he fired the weapon or knew the boy had been playing with the gun.
"We do not have anything to indicate that the dad fired the weapon, so the avenue we are pursuing is that the gun was his responsibility," Collins said.
Collins also shared that Watson legally owned the weapon but did not have a concealed carry permit needed to have it in the vehicle.
"He was legally entitled to own the gun, however, he transported the weapon in a vehicle in a manner not prescribed by law," Collins said.
As for the child, Collins said a forensic interview was conducted with the toddler.
"The child said he was the one who fired the gun," Collins said. "We are confident he fired the gun."
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