A Young Boy Accidentally Shoots Himself With his Father’s Gun

Picture Courtesy: (Sowetan) Law enforcement has confirmed that the weapon used by the child to shoot himself in the head had been stolen in West Rand.

(The Post News)- A father from Soweto has been taken into custody and charged with negligent homicide after his 11-year-old child reportedly used his gun to take his own life.
The tragic incident was witnessed by the child’s friends, who were playing with him at the time, but fortunately, they were unharmed during the accidental discharge.

Law enforcement has verified that the weapon used by the child to inflict a fatal head wound had previously been reported stolen in the West Rand.
They refused to provide specifics about the theft, indicating that those details would be disclosed in the course of legal proceedings.

Gauteng police spokesperson Lt-Col Mavela Masondo stated, “The firearm in question was stolen and reported missing in Randfontein.
However, details regarding the charges related to the stolen firearm will be revealed in the course of the legal proceedings.”

The event occurred on Tuesday morning at approximately 11:30 a.m. According to Sgt. Anthony Kholo, spokesperson for Naledi police station, the child from Emndeni was engaging in play with his friends when he unexpectedly entered the house.

He then entered his father’s bedroom and began tampering with a firearm, inviting his friends to gather at the window to display it.

As described by police, “The two friends were outside when the firearm unexpectedly went off, causing them to flee the area without injury.”

According to Kholo, the incident took place around 11:30 a.m., but the police were only informed at 2 p.m.

He suggested that the family may have altered the crime scene, stating, “The grandmother informed the father, who was not present at the time, and they removed the firearm and cartridges, significantly tampering with the evidence.”

The father was arrested and charged with culpable homicide and possession of an illegal firearm. He is currently in detention and is expected to appear in court soon.

According to the grandfather of one of the children who witnessed the shooting, his grandson has been severely traumatised by the event.

“The children were inconsolable and struggled to speak to the police on the day of the incident. They revealed that the deceased had shown them the firearm a day earlier, in public. The family has decided to temporarily place the child in the care of a relative,” said the grandfather, who preferred to remain anonymous.