NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A 5-year-old boy is dead after accidentally shooting himself with a gun he found in a bedroom drawer at his Antioch home. The tragedy has reignited urgent calls for gun safety in homes with children.
The shooting happened on Bison Court in South Nashville. Youth Services detectives say the child's father was downstairs watching television when he heard a gunshot. He rushed upstairs to find his son with a fatal head wound. The boy's mother was running errands when it happened. The boy died at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital.
Detectives will share their completed investigation with the District Attorney's Office. No charges have been filed at this time.
Clemmie Greenlee, founder of Nashville Peacemakers and Mothers Over Murder, lost her own son to gun violence in 2003 and has since dedicated her life to preventing others from experiencing the same heartbreak.
"It's not an accidental shooting to me. And I want that word to make you mad. I want you to hurt, but I want you to know I'm saying it in good faith," Greenlee said.
Greenlee says children are naturally curious and observant, making unsecured firearms especially dangerous.
"They watch us like a hawk, especially the little ones. They knowzy. They fidgety. They active. And if they see you put something somewhere, it could be a candy, your purse or something. They go back and look for it," Greenlee said.
She urged gun owners to take immediate steps to secure their firearms.
"Start putting the lock on them. Start keeping them in the holster. Put them up high if you can. And that really still needs a lock on it. 'Cause if you got a five, six-year-old, you know they ain't even doing them pull a chair up and get from the sink to the cabinet to the top. So you got to come better with thinking about where can I hide this at that my child is not gonna look," Greenlee said.
Metro police offer free gun locks at all precincts. Greenlee believes the community needs more proactive outreach to get those resources into more hands.
"Now this time pull up on us and try to give us something. So you go get some guns, safety locks and just spread them out," Greenlee said.
For the grieving family, Greenlee offered compassion from someone who understands their pain.
"I would love to talk with you, help you, love on you and walk you through this," Greenlee said.
Click here to contact Greenlee.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@NewsChannel5.com
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