CLEVELAND — A 3-year-old boy has died after he was hospitalized Wednesday in what Brunswick Hills Township police called an accidental shooting.
The boy's name has not been released.
"Yesterday was a tragic loss to our community," Brunswick Hills Police Chief Tim Sopkovich told 3News the day after the incident.
A neighbor made the heartbreaking call around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. Sopkovich says the boy was playing in the garage with his sibling when the father took the other child inside, leaving the boy alone. The boy then climbed up his dad's workbench, where there was a semiautomatic pistol.
"The father did believe it was out of reach, but it wasn’t," Sopkovich said. "It's new. They're going to touch it, and unfortunately, you can't bring that bullet back once it's gone."
The boy tragically shot himself in the chest. Medics rushed him to Cleveland Clinic Brunswick Family Health Center first, then flew him to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. Tragically, he did not survive the night.
"My heart goes out to the family," Sopkovich added. "My prayers and thoughts are with the family. This is a tragic loss for them."
Sopkovich called it a tragic accident that happens too often around the country and always involves a painful lesson. Since he became chief, the Brunswick Hills Township Police Department has been giving away child safe gunlocks to prevent these kinds of accidents.
"A lot of these can be prevented, and I think a lot of these could be done by just responsible adults and gun owners taking responsibility," Sopkovich said. "Make sure that you're securing them properly, make sure you're locking them up."
No charges have been filed at this time, but an investigation of the incident is ongoing. The department is currently waiting for a report from the coroner's office.
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