A 5-year-old fatally shot their 1-year-old brother Tuesday in Lafayette, Ind., Tuesday, according to a police press release cited by the Lafayette Journal-Courier.
Authorities were called to the scene around 3 p.m. Tuesday at the Romney Meadows Apartments.
Tippecanoe County Coroner Carrie Costello identified the deceased infant as 16-month-old Isiah Johnson. An autopsy performed Wednesday confirmed he died from one gunshot wound. Costello said the coroner’s office was still waiting on a police investigation and toxicology reports to declare the manner of death.
According to the Journal-Courier, the 5-year-old found a handgun inside the apartment. In addition to the two minors, one adult was at the home when the incident occurred, said Lafayette Police Department Lt. Matt Gard. A 911 call that brought police to the scene was from outside the home.
“When I arrived on scene, I don’t believe any life-saving measures were taken,” Gard said.
In 2021, Audacy reported about a 21-year-old mother who was fatally shot by her toddler. According to Everytown Research & Policy “hundreds of children in the U.S. gain access to firearms and unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else,” every year.
So far in 2023 there were at least 63 unintentional shootings by children, resulting in 25 deaths and 39 injuries nationally, per Everytown’s #NotAnAccident index. Overall, approximately 3 million children in America witness gun violence every year.
Around one in three families with children have a gun in their home, according to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and close to 40% of all unintentional shooting deaths among children age 11 to 14 occur in the home of a friend.
Everytown and the National Institute of Justice both recommend safe storage gun laws, as well as other legislation, to prevent gun-related deaths.
No arrests have been made in the Lafayette case as of Wednesday morning, the Journal-Courier reported. Police said the case was still under investigation.
“When finished, the case will be sent to the prosecutor’s office for review to determine if charges might be filed,” the Journal-Courier said.
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