An 8-month-old boy died Saturday after being shot by his 3-year-old brother at a Houston apartment, police said.
Assistant Chief Wendy Baimbridge of the Houston Police Department indicated the shooting unfolded accidentally after the toddler picked up an unsecured firearm.
"This is just a tragic," she said at a news conference. "It was just one gunshot to the abdomen, and unfortunately our little one is deceased."
Two family members drove the baby boy to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, she said. A subsequent search turned up a gun in the vehicle, police tweeted.
Hospital officials informed police about the shooting, Baimbridge said, adding that four adults were in the apartment at the time.
She said it's illegal for firearms to be accessible to young children, and investigators were trying to determine who owns the gun.
"I just want to take this moment to plead with parents and guardians all over to not allow your firearms to be accessible to anyone in the house," she said. "Lock them up."
