The family of a five-year-old Utah boy is in shock after the boy was found dead in his parents’ bedroom after accidentally shooting himself.
The boy – identified by his family as Brooks Thomas Wilson – found a 9 mm handgun in the back room of his home Thursday afternoon and fired a single shot into the head, police said.
The boy’s parents and possibly one of his siblings were in the house at the time of the shooting, but were not in the room with him.
The father immediately went into the room when he heard the shot and began to perform CPR, but the boy died at the scene.
Authorities do not suspect a crime and are not currently pressing charges against the parents.
The family of 5-year-old Utah boy Brooks Thomas Wilson is in shock after the child was found dead after accidentally shooting himself in his parents’ bedroom.
The boy’s parents and possibly one of his siblings were in the house at the time of the shooting, but were not in the room with him.
Lieutenant Mike Wall of the Santaquin Police Department declined to say if or how the weapon was recovered.
The investigation, which includes a forensic report, could take several months.
Kristin Wilson, the boy’s mother, is a local preschool teacher. She and her husband, Bryan, have four children, including Brooks.
In a statement released Friday by the Wilson and Hunsaker families, the shooting was described as an “unimaginable tragedy” that serves as a reminder to take precautions to protect children.
“This heartbreaking incident has taught us difficult lessons and we deeply regret that it happened this way. Our hearts are shattered and we hope that the loss of our family reminds us how quickly life can change,” the statement said.
In an obituary, the young Brooks was described as someone who “lived life to the fullest and always wore his heart on his sleeve.”
Located 60 miles south of Salt Lake City, the close-knit town of about 14,000 residents offers some of the best support anyone could hope for, Wall said.
“The family is obviously devastated. … Of course it’s a shock to the community. It’s always a good reminder of how quickly things can happen and how quickly accidents can happen,” he said.
Kristin Wilson, the boy’s mother, is a local preschool teacher. She and her husband Bryan have four children, including Brooks
Neighbors embrace after a 5-year-old boy accidentally shot himself with a gun he found in his parents’ bedroom in Santaquin, Utah
The Wilsons have started a GoFundMe campaign to “support our family during this time. All contributions will be used to cover funeral expenses.”
According to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, there are no laws in Utah that penalize someone for failing to secure an unattended firearm and leaving it accessible to an unsupervised minor.
The state also does not require that unattended firearms be stored in a particular manner or that a lock be sold with a firearm.
