Pinellas County Florida Boy finds forgotten gun, accidentally shoots self in head

Boy finds forgotten gun, accidentally shoots self in head
Story Highlights
Boy, 12, found .25-caliber gun in box in closet

Police have not charged anyone in relation to incident

Florida law prohibits leaving a loaded firearm where minor can access it

Prosecutor: "Sometimes, the injury of a child is more severe" punishment



By Rich Phillips
CNN Senior Producer

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A Florida boy remains in stable condition just days after he found his parents' long-forgotten handgun in a closet and accidentally shot himself in the head.


Sheriff's detectives in Pinellas County, Florida, near St. Petersburg, say the boy found the .25-caliber European semi-automatic handgun in a box in a closet in their home.

"They are dealing with this very tragic situation, and at this point, no charges have been filed," said Cecilia Barreda of the Pinellas County sheriff's office.

His stepfather found Jacob Larson, 12, with a gunshot wound to the head Friday. The stepfather called 911.

Police say the shooting took place between 7:40 a.m., when his mother, Tracy Newman, leaves for work, and about 11 a.m., when his stepfather, Joseph Newton, returns home. The boy normally goes to school about 8:30 a.m.

"A few years ago, they moved, and [the gun] was stored in the closet. The mother never checked it, never fired it," Barreda said.

"They told detectives that they forgot they had stored it in a box inside a closet. Both her and her husband forgot about it," she said.

Newman told detectives that she received the gun six years ago from a former employer. Police say that both she and her husband are cooperating in the investigation into the incident.
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http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/21/forgotten.gun/index.html