4-year-old boy dies after accidentally shooting himself in head: ‘Heartbreaking tragedy’

(DAVENPORT, Fla.) — A 4-year-old boy named Chosen Morris has died after accidentally shooting himself in the head with a handgun he found in his parents’ car, according to authorities in Florida.

The “tragic accident” unfolded Friday evening as the Morris family prepared to go out for pizza, the Davenport Police Department said.

Chosen’s dad, Robert Morris, was in the bathroom getting ready and his mom, Quinta Morris, was on the computer in her bedroom, police said.

Quinta Morris said she heard a “pop” and assumed her children broke something, according to police. She went to the living room to talk to them, but only her 7-year-old and 11-year-old were there, police said.

Quinta Morris started looking for Chosen and noticed the door to the garage was open, police said. In the garage, she found Chosen in the driver’s seat of the car with a gunshot wound to his head, police said.

Chosen’s parents rushed him to the hospital where he died on Saturday afternoon, police said.

Authorities believe Chosen was excited about the outing and went to the car to wait for his family, and then found the Smith & Wesson M&P .40 caliber handgun under the driver’s seat, police said.

“This is a tragic accident,” Davenport Police Chief Steve Parker said in a statement. “As a father and grandfather, I can’t imagine what Mr. and Mrs. Morris are going through right now. Our prayers are certainly with the Morris family as they endure this heartbreaking tragedy.”

Hundreds of children unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else in the U.S. each year, according to Everytown for Gun Safety.

There were at least 411 unintentional shootings by children in 2023, marking the worst year on record since Everytown’s tracking started in 2015. There were at least 360 unintentional shootings by children last year, causing 136 fatalities, according to Everytown.

There have been at least 21 unintentional shootings so far this year, resulting in 11 deaths, Everytown said.