Sheriff: 4-year-old boy accidentally shot self to death in NW Indiana
SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE - A 4-year-old boy accidentally shot himself to death Saturday morning in northwest Indiana, police said.
About 10:50 a.m., 4-year-old Eric Cole was at a babysitter’s house in the 7700 block of East 120th Avenue when he found a handgun in a case beneath a bed in an upstairs bedroom, according to the Lake County sheriff’s and coroner’s offices.
Cole opened the case and then handled the firearm, which fired a single round, striking the boy, the sheriff’s office said. He was taken to Franciscan Health Crown Point, where he died just after noon, according to the coroner’s office.
An autopsy did not immediately rule on Cole’s cause and manner of death pending further investigation.
The Lake County sheriff’s office is investigating the incident as an accidental shooting. Charges were not expected to be filed, the sheriff’s office said.