Three-year-old dies after picking up father's gun at Burger King

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 24 Oct, 18:08 · Archive

A three-year-old boy in Florida fatally shot himself with his father's gun while in a Burger King drive-thru on Thursday.

A three-year-old boy in Bartow, Florida died after picking up his father's loaded Glock handgun and accidentally shooting himself on Thursday evening. The incident occurred while the boy sat in the backseat of a car in a Burger King drive-thru. His father was attempting to resolve a declined credit card payment at the window when he removed the gun from his waistband and placed it on the seat.

Police said the father's credit card was declined due to recent fraud flags following the family's move from Connecticut to Florida four months earlier. While dealing with the payment problem, distracted and attempting to find another way to pay, he left the loaded weapon within the boy's reach in the backseat. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the father was still in shock as investigators examined what happened. "The child obviously sees the gun, picks it up and is playing with it, and shoots himself in the face," Judd told reporters, noting that a bullet hole was found through the roof of the vehicle.

A bystander called emergency services and first responders rushed the child to hospital, but he was pronounced dead at 7:30 p.m. The boy was due to turn four the following Monday. The father was legally permitted to carry a firearm.

How it is being reported

• Boy, 3, dies after he grabbed gun and shot himself as dad tried to pay for Burger KingPolice said a three-year-old picked up his father's loaded gun while his dad tried to resolve a declined card payment. Officers and hospital staff attempted to save him, but he died that eveningThe Mirror · 24 Oct, 17:53
• 3-year-old fatally shoots himself in face with dad’s gun while in Florida Burger King drive-thru: police"We also know, at least from the initial info, that we can see where there is a bullet hole directly through the roof, and the child shot in the face," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told reporters at a press conference.New York Post · 24 Oct, 00:20

In this story: Bartow · Florida · Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd · Connecticut · Burger King

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