Leighton Owings Indiana toddler accidentally shoots self dead after coming across loaded gun at his family’s Fairmount home. Mother was in other room feeding infant sister when incident occurred.
A 2-year-old Indiana boy has died after accidentally shooting himself dead Tuesday afternoon after coming across a loaded gun and pulling the trigger at his family’s home according to police.
Leighton Owings’ shooting death came as the boy’s mother, 22-year-old Caci Seals, was in the front room of the family Fairmount home feeding the boy’s infant sister.
The Indiana State Police said the toddler was taken to Marion General Hospital, where he died from his injuries.
State police said the weapon was a Ruger 9-mm handgun and that Leighton was struck by a single bullet.
The Grant County Coroner’s Office said an autopsy will be performed. Fairmount is about an hour northeast of Indianapolis.
‘Sudden loss of sweet boy’
Detectives are still investigating the incident and will forward their report to the Grant County Prosecutor’s Office when they’ve finished.
Not immediately clear is how the boy came to access the weapon along with the owner of the gun.
Tributes have poured in for the little boy, described as ‘smart, funny, and fun to be around’ by a family member.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Leighton’s mom, baby daughter Raelynn, and her fiancé Noah Collins, who was out at the time of the tragedy.
‘We are all so very saddened by the sudden loss of this sweet sweet boy,’ said Amber Wilson, the sister of Noah Collins, who launched the fundraiser.
‘Our family is understandably shocked by this loss and unfortunately not prepared for all that goes along with planning a funeral at this time,’ she added.
The incident occurred days after a 5-year-old Georgia girl was killed after playing with a handgun in a bedroom while an adult was in another room leading to a 36-year-old man being charged with second-degree murder and second-degree cruelty to children for leaving the gun unattended.
