A 6-year-old whose body was found at an apartment in a Broward County gated Community Monday accidentally shot himself with an unsecured gun, police say.
The boy was being watched by his uncle when, at some point, he found the gun and accidentally shot himself. Emergency responders were called out to the Tamarac apartment within the Sun Vista Gardens complex around 3:30 p.m., according to local news outlets. When they got there, they found the child’s body. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
No charges have been filed in the incident and the investigation into how the child was able to get ahold of the weapon and whose weapon it was is ongoing.
Recently, a teenager in Broward County was charged in the accidental shooting death of his friend while the two played with a loaded gun at an apartment complex. The teen was charged with manslaughter and has not been named publicly.
Leesfield & Partners
In over four decades of representing families and injured clients, Leesfield & Partners attorneys have developed a strong reputation with cases involving firearms. Last year, the firm saw an increase in drop-fire gun cases due to defective pistols. The weapons at the center of those cases were found to have issues with their firing pins, small, metal, spring-loaded rods that strike the primer on the cartridge when hit by the firearm’s hammer. This primer ignites the gunpowder, firing the bullet.
In previous drop-fire cases, attorneys with the firm were able to prove that the firing pins set off without the trigger being pulled, allowing the gun to go off unintentionally regardless of whether the weapon’s safety mechanism was enabled or not.
Leesfield & Partners attorneys previously represented a client whose handgun malfunctioned. A seven-figure settlement with the gun manufacturer was achieved for the client via mediation.
In a case against a gun manufacturer, Leesfield & Partners attorneys secured $2.1 million for the client.
In a devastating case involving the death of a minor as a result of a defective firearm, Leesfield & Partners attorneys secured a $3,000,000 recovery for the child’s family.
Leesfield & Partners attorneys also obtained a $1.5 million recovery for a client injured by a faulty firearm.
Florida Gun Laws
In Florida, you must be at least 21 years old to purchase a firearm from a licensed weapons dealer. Last year, Florida did away with requiring a person to undergo safety training, get a background check, and have a permit to carry a hidden, loaded firearm in public. This means that the state is now “permitless carry.” Residents and non-residents in Florida do not have to have a permit to have a concealed weapon in public as long as they meet the criteria to have a concealed weapons permit.
Some of the criteria for a concealed weapons permit are as follows:
- They must be at least 21 years old.
- They must be a U.S. resident or permanent citizen.
- They do not suffer from an infirmity that would prevent them from safely handling of the firearm.
- They are not barred from owning a firearm due to a previous felony conviction.
- They demonstrate competence with a firearm.
Open carry is permitted in Florida only when fishing, lawfully hunting, camping, or when at target practice within an indoor shooting range. While safe storage for these weapons is encouraged, there are no statewide laws in Florida specifically requiring gun owners to lock away their weapons when at home. Some safe options to keep your weapons from being accessed by children or intruders in your home include specialty safes or lock boxes.