Boy, 5, dies after finding unattended firearm
A 5-year-old boy accidentally shot and killed himself after finding an unattended firearm on Milwaukee’s south side Tuesday night.
The incident took place on the 900 block of South 29th Street shortly before 8:30 p.m., police said.
The boy was identified by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office as Elijo J. Gonzalez.
Two men, ages 35 and 58, are in custody in connection to the death, police said. Charges are pending review by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.
It was the third day in a row a child was shot in the city. On Sunday, two teenage boys were shot, one fatally, in separate incidents. On Monday, two teenage girls were shot and injured.
Mayor Cavalier Johnson on Wednesday condemned the days of gun violence that left Milwaukee children injured and killed.
He noted Elijo’s death from a firearm that was not in a gun safe, did not have a gun lock and was within reach of a child.
“Folks have got to be worried about the consequences of their actions, they need to take those things seriously,” he said.
Johnson said his understanding was that 13-year-old Jamarri Paige, who was killed in a shooting Sunday, was at his kitchen table at the time of the incident. He said the shooting stemmed from a dispute between adults.
“What happens is that a kid, an innocent kid who is in his home, is the one who suffers the consequence with his life and is killed because of the actions of adults,” Johnson said. “As a grown person, you should be able to have a disagreement with somebody and use your words, your words, to express your displeasure. … Not take out a gun and fire it into someone’s home.”
Nationally, in 2020, firearm-related injuries surpassed motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of death for young people, defined as persons 1 to 19 years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
How to safely store a gun
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, roughly a third of U.S. homes with children have guns, and even young toddlers are capable of finding unlocked guns and are strong enough to pull the trigger.
In homes with guns, the likelihood of an accidental death by a gun is four times higher. The most effective way to prevent unintentional shootings is the absence of guns in homes.
But for those that do have them, the academy recommends guns be locked away and ammunition locked and stored separately. Children and teens should not be able to unlock the boxes that store firearms, and guns that are loaded and unlocked should not be stored in a car or anywhere else on your property.
The academy recommends guns be unloaded any time they are set down.
Where to find free gun locks
The Milwaukee Police Department provides a limited supply of free gun locks at its district locations. The department recommends those interested call ahead to see if any are available. District station contact information can be found here.
The Milwaukee Health Department hands out free gun locks at the Northwest Health Center, 7630 W. Mill Road.
The Health Department also said residents can reach out to the United Neighborhood Centers of Milwaukee, at 414-978-2024, about gun locks.