Tragic Incident Involving 3-Year-Old Shooting Himself in Mesa, Arizona

Recent news out of Mesa, Arizona has shocked the community as a 3-year-old child accidentally shot himself after getting a hold of a gun. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is recommending charges of endangerment against the parents in this tragic incident.

The incident occurred on May 16, 2024, when the child was critically wounded from a gunshot wound to his head. The mother reported that she was sitting near the family’s living room while the child was playing on a couch. Upon hearing a loud noise, she discovered the child covered in blood with a pistol near his face.

The child was rushed to Phoenix Children’s Hospital where he received critical care and eventual stabilization before being moved to rehabilitation. The father admitted to leaving the loaded pistol on the couch the night before the incident, leading to the tragic outcome.

Maricopa County, where this incident took place, is the 4th largest county in the United States in terms of population, with over 4.4 million residents according to the 2020 Census. It spans over 9,200 square miles and is larger than several U.S. states combined.

Despite this tragic incident, Maricopa County offers a vast park system with over 120,000 acres of open space parks, including trails, nature centers, and campgrounds. The county’s seat is in Phoenix, which is both the state capital and the 5th most populous city in the U.S.

Our thoughts are with the family of the child involved in this heartbreaking event and we hope that awareness around gun safety and responsible firearm ownership can prevent similar tragedies in the future.