An 11-year-old boy from southwestern Illinois was fatally shot — on accident — by a 6-year-old friend, authorities said Wednesday.
Belleville police spokesman Mark Heffernan said the shooting happened around 11 p.m. Tuesday at a home during a family barbecue. He said that three children, including the victim, were alone upstairs in a home while adults were downstairs.
The St. Clair County Coroner's office identified the victim as Leonard J. Smith Jr.
An autopsy conducted Wednesday showed he died from a single gunshot wound to the head.
"This is obviously a very tragic situation, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim's family," Heffernan told the newspaper. "Those who own firearms need to ensure their firearms are secured so we don't have another tragic situation like the one we've been investigating."
In 2011, Belleville police investigated a fatal accidental shooting when a 5-year-old was shot to death by his 10-year-old brother. The boys had been playing with a shotgun inside the family's home. No charges were filed.
That's how they protect each other. They have an investigation and then determine it was just an accident. No charges necessary.
This is Illinois, a state with much of the gun control foolishness that you want.
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