Four-year-old boy fatally shoots himself in grocery store parking lot as mother shopped
The recent accidental infant shooting is one of several this year in the state of Georgia
A four-year-old boy accidentally shot himself dead in the parking lot of a Georgia grocery store as his mother shopped, police say.
The young boy, Miyell Hernandez, got hold of a gun that had been left in the car he was waiting in outside a Publix shop in DeKalb County on Sunday evening. He was with his 13-year-old cousin and eight-month-old sister at the time.
After the shooting, Miyell’s cousin rushed into the store to get his mother. The infant was immediately taken to hospital but did not survive his injuries.
Miyell’s aunt, Guadalupe Woods, set up a GoFundMe campaign raising money for the boy’s family.
She told 11 Alive that Miyell’s mother had gone into the store to get a birthday cake for his grandfather.
“This moment will forever be remembered as my dad’s birthday with the death of our only boy that we have besides my brother in our family,” Ms Woods said.
She said that her brother, Miyell’s father, told the boy he loved him daily but didn’t get to say it on the day of his death.
“He was sleeping [that day] and he didn’t get to say he loved his son before his son left the house,” Ms Woods said.
She also expressed heartbreak for the teen who watched the shooting unfold.
“I’m pretty sure my niece is going to be pretty messed up for the rest of her life because she was unfortunately in there when it happened,” she said. “But we’ll figure something out. We’ll just keep going.”
Maria Hernandez, Miyell’s other aunt and the mother of the 13-year-old, told 11 Alive: “Nobody knew there was a gun in the vehicle.”
She said her daughter was in the passenger seat turning on some music when she heard the gun go off and smoke filled the car.
“When she turned, she saw my nephew...she went for help and that’s it. Two bystanders called 911 and by then he was already gone,” she said.
Ms Hernandez described Miyell as “the sweetest kid ever”.
“All he ever wanted to do is be held, told he was loved, kissed,” she said. “He wanted you to hold his hand constantly, he loved his baby sister, he was excited when that came around.”
“We’re imploring gun owners to always keep their guns safe and secure,” said Police Chief Mirtha Ramos after the incident.
“Our hearts and thoughts go out to the Hernandez family.”
The tragic incident was on the same day as the shooting of a 9-year-old Atlanta child, who was reportedly shot by a teenager. At least six children have died in Atlanta due to shootings in 2022.
A gun safety fair is scheduled for 19 March, DeKalb County Police Department are set to release more details.