10-Year-Old Boy Shoots, Kills His 8-Year-Old Brother While Playing With Shotgun

A 10-year-old boy accidentally shot his 8-year-old brother to death while playing with a shotgun in Houston, Texas on Monday, Oct. 24.

The victim, an 8-year-old boy, was home alone with his 10-year-old and 13-year-old siblings in their home in the Bear Creek Apartments in the 5500 block of Timber Creek Place, 20 miles west of downtown Houston on Monday, Oct. 24. While the siblings were spending time inside the only bedroom at the residence, the 10-year-old child, who was reportedly playing with a shotgun, accidentally shot the gun and struck his 8-year-old sibling in the torso, ABC News reported.

Following the shooting, the eldest brother called 911 and informed them about the incident. Following this, the sheriff’s office responded to the one-bedroom apartment unit and discovered the boy with a gunshot wound lying inside the residence. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez revealed that it is currently unclear who the shotgun belonged to and whether the shotgun was already loaded or if it was loaded while the children were playing with it, NBC News reported.

The sheriff added that the victim's family had recently moved from Venezuela to the Houston area in the past few months and were in the process of getting their children enrolled in new schools.

Gonzalez also emphasized the importance of safely storing guns in the home, keeping them locked and away from children.

“We know the family is extremely devastated by what has occurred out here this afternoon,” Gonzalez said in a press conference. “I always even struggle to say it’s accidental because [incidents like] these are truly preventable … if [a gun] is going to be in the home, especially if kids are going to stay in the home, it needs to be safely secure or not in the home.”

Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the children’s parents may potentially face charges in the shooting incident.

“We always encourage responsible gun ownership and safe storage,” said Gonzalez.

The officers have launched an investigation into the incident and further probe is underway.