MCKEE, Ky. — A 7-year-old child fatally shot a 5-year-old child inside a home in eastern Kentucky, police said.
An initial investigation found that the shooting reported Monday evening at the home in McKee was accidental, Kentucky State Police said in a statement.
Life-saving measures were attempted, but the child was pronounced dead at the scene by the Jackson County coroner, police said. An investigation continues, said police, who did not identify those involved.
There have been more than 150 unintentional shootings by children in the U.S. so far this year, including three others in Kentucky, resulting in at least 58 deaths and 101 injuries, according to the Everytown for Gun Safety advocacy group.
Kentucky does not have any laws that impose a penalty on those that fail to secure an unattended firearm, according to Giffords Law Center. However, the state prohibits anyone from “intentionally, knowingly or recklessly” providing a handgun to a minor unless the minor has legal permission to possess a handgun.
