A 2-year-old boy died Sunday after authorities say a 4-year-old relative found a handgun inside a vehicle and shot him as the family arrived at an Airbnb in Florida for a vacation.
The incident happened shortly before 4 p.m. in Kissimmee, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. Officials said the firearm, which belonged to the toddler’s mother, had been left unsecured in the car outside the rental home.
Paramedics transported the child to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, where he was later pronounced dead.
Investigators said the family is believed to have traveled from Louisville, Georgia, to stay at the Airbnb. Authorities are still working to confirm the exact relationship between the two children.
“As they arrived at their destination, the two-year-old was left in the car and a four-year-old family member entered the vehicle and located an unsecured, unholstered handgun,” an OCSO spokesperson said.
“Family members were outside of the car and had not yet entered the home, when they heard a gunshot coming from inside the vehicle.”
The sheriff’s office said one family member was also taken to a hospital after experiencing chest pains in the aftermath of the shooting.
Authorities have not yet interviewed the 4-year-old, but officials said the family has been cooperative with investigators and is not being restricted from leaving or returning.
The homicide unit attended the scene and the Medical Examiner’s Office and the Department of Children and Families was notified, while the investigation remains ongoing.
The sheriff’s office said charges are possible, pending a conversation with the state attorney.
The tragedy comes after 5-year-old twin girls, also from Georgia, drowned last month in a swimming pool at a short-term rental in Kissimmee, according to WESH 2 News.
The girls were airlifted to Arnold Palmer Hospital around 11 a.m. on June 12 and were later pronounced dead there.
