Boy accidentally shoots, kills 8-year-old brother in Arkansas

An 8-year-old boy died after he was accidentally shot by his 5-year-old brother at their home in Arkansas on Thursday afternoon.

Deputies with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office responded to a home on Shannon Valley Road in Jefferson County around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday after receiving information that a boy was found unresponsive at the residence. 

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The responding officers found the boy unresponsive inside the house with a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. 

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In a press release, the sheriff’s office confirmed that it was a case of an accidental shooting. 

Calling it a “tragedy,” Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr. said the incident could have been avoided.

“I can’t emphasize strongly enough that guns need to be well secured and kept out of the hands and away from children at all times. Gun owners that do not properly secure their firearms are just one split second away from one of these tragedies happening in their home,” he said in a statement.

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The body of the boy has been sent for an autopsy. Meanwhile, following the state protocols, the Arkansas Department of Human Services was informed about the incident, with caseworkers arriving at the scene to check the welfare of the kids living in the home.

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The five-year-old boy and his four other siblings were taken by the agents. They will be placed in their aunt’s custody pending investigation, Metro reported. 

The names of the children have not been released by authorities.