UPDATE:
The Whitley County Sheriff's Office has identified the 2-year-old boy killed after being shot in the head as Milo Brooks.
ORIGINAL:
A 2-year-old boy has died after being accidentally shot in the head by another toddler in his home, according to Whitley County Sheriff William Elliotte.
They haven't determined which of the several 3-year-old children in the home pulled the trigger, he said.
The boy was rushed to a hospital for treatment but died from his injuries.
"Anytime you have children, it makes the scenes a lot tougher to work,” Elliotte said. “Those are the images you don't get out of your head for a long time."
The family of the child is upset and traumatized, he said.
“We just offer them our prayers,” he said.
Far too many tragedies happen in the community, said Dustin Rife, a pastor and family ministries director at Immanuel Baptist Church, which isn't far from the Martins Drive home where the boy was shot.
“It’s horrible, horrible for sure,” he said. “I would encourage anyone who’s watching, anyone who’s listening, anyone who is a believer, to pray for this community, pray for this family, that they would know the church's doors are always open."
The investigation is ongoing.
While the shooting was accidental, Elliotte said it doesn’t change the fact the 3-year-old was able to get a hold of the handgun.
“I’m a strong proponent of the second amendment, but you've got to be a responsible gun owner,” Elliotte said. “Store your weapons where your children can’t get to them. We see this far too often, and it’s never good.”
In June, a 5-year-old in Jackson County died after being accidentally shot by a 7-year-old sibling, police’s preliminary investigation found.
