Tragedy Strikes Jacksonville: 9-Year-Old Accidentally Fires Single Shot, Killing 6-Year-Old

On Monday afternoon, tragedy struck in Jacksonville, Florida when a 9-year-old child fired a single shot inside a home, fatally wounding a 6-year-old in the head. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Assistant Chief J.D. Stronko said during a news briefing that an adult was present in the home at the time of the shooting, but could not disclose the relationship between the adult and the children or the relationship between the two children due to Florida’s victim privacy protections, Marsy’s Law.

According to data analyzed by the advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety, there have been at least 240 unintentional shootings by children in the U.S. this year, resulting in 88 deaths and 160 injuries. The victim in this case was taken to the hospital Wednesday afternoon, but was ultimately pronounced dead. The victim has not been publicly identified and the relationship between the children and the victim is unknown.

This incident is yet another example of the devastating consequences of gun violence in the United States. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the incident and has not released any further information at this time.