A 2-year-old boy was killed in Kissimmee, Florida, on Sunday when a 4-year-old relative found an unsecured handgun in a car and accidentally shot him. The incident occurred just before 4 p.m. as the family was arriving at an Airbnb for a vacation. Police said the toddler who was shot was left in the vehicle, and the older child entered the car and discovered the firearm.
Family members, who were outside the car at the time, heard a gunshot from inside the vehicle. Emergency services transported the 2-year-old to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, where he was pronounced dead. Another family member was taken to the hospital for chest pains due to distress from the event.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident. The family is believed to have traveled from Louisville, Georgia. Authorities are working to determine the exact relationship between the two children. Investigators have not yet spoken with the 4-year-old. The family has been cooperative with law enforcement.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office stated that charges are possible pending further investigation and a conversation with the state attorney. The homicide unit, the Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Department of Children and Families have been notified.
This tragedy follows a separate incident in Kissimmee last month, where twin 5-year-old girls, also from Georgia, drowned in a swimming pool at a short-term rental property.