A 2-year-old boy left alone with a handgun fatally shot himself Tuesday night in the family's suburban Atlanta home, authorities said.
The toddler grabbed the gun off a bed, said Acworth police Officer Youlanda Leverette.
"The father walked away, and the child got a hold of the weapon," Leverette said, according to NBC affiliate WXIA.
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Police were called to the scene just before 7:30 p.m. ET. Another 4-year-old son was home at the time; the children's mother was not there, Leverette said.
No charges against the father, who was not immediately identified, have been filed while the preliminary investigation continues. Police said the incident serves as a warning about gun safety.
"Put your guns or weapons away. Lock them up in safe places," Leverette said. "Use your gun locks and keep (the firearms) high away from children."
