3-year-old dead after accidental shooting in southwest Las Vegas

By Bianca Cseke Las Vegas Review-Journal

8 years ago

A police officer stands in the doorway of a house after a child shot himself on Chandler Springs Avenue in southwest Las Vegas on Tuesday, August 1, 2017. Patrick Connolly Las Vegas Review-Journal @PConnPie

A 3-year-old child reportedly suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound Tuesday at a home in the southwest Las Vegas Valley. (Blake Apgar/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Police congregate at a crime scene where a child shot himself on Chandler Springs Avenue in southwest Las Vegas on Tuesday, August 1, 2017. Patrick Connolly Las Vegas Review-Journal @PConnPie

Metro police officers plan to expand the crime scene where a child shot himself on Chandler Springs Avenue in southwest Las Vegas on Tuesday, August 1, 2017. Patrick Connolly Las Vegas Review-Journal @PConnPie

Police congregate at a crime scene where a child shot himself on Chandler Springs Avenue in southwest Las Vegas on Tuesday, August 1, 2017. Patrick Connolly Las Vegas Review-Journal @PConnPie

Police congregate at a crime scene where a child shot themself on Chandler Springs Avenue in southwest Las Vegas on Tuesday, August 1, 2017. Patrick Connolly Las Vegas Review-Journal @PConnPie

Police congregate at a crime scene where a child shot himself on Chandler Springs Avenue in southwest Las Vegas on Tuesday, August 1, 2017. Patrick Connolly Las Vegas Review-Journal @PConnPie

Police congregate at a crime scene where a child shot themself on Chandler Springs Avenue in southwest Las Vegas on Tuesday, August 1, 2017. Patrick Connolly Las Vegas Review-Journal @PConnPie

A 3-year-old boy died Tuesday afternoon in the southwest valley after a fatal shooting that reportedly was accidental.

The shooting happened just before 2 p.m. on Chandler Springs Avenue, Las Vegas police spokeswoman Laura Meltzer said. The boy was taken to University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead about 2:45 p.m., Metropolitan Police Department spokesman Larry Hadfield said.

Lt. Grant Rogers said Tuesday night that it’s unclear how the child was shot. He added that a 7-year-old and the children’s father were home at the time of the shooting.

Additional details about how the incident occurred, including who shot the child, were not immediately available.

“As parents, it’s very, very important to stow your firearms in a safe way,” Hadfield said. “It doesn’t matter how old your kids are. It doesn’t matter where your kids are. (Firearms) need to be locked up at all time so that tragedies like this do not happen in our community.”

Metro’s homicide investigators and abuse and neglect section continue to investigate.

Contact Bianca Cseke at bcseke@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0381. Follow @biancacseke1 on Twitter.