3-Year-Old Shoots Two, Including Murder Suspect

A toddler accidentally shot and injured two people in Indiana—which inadvertently helped police arrest a man wanted for murder. Police in Lafayette say a 3-year-old child somehow gained access to a gun and shot two people inside an apartment on Thursday, one of whom was his mother, 21-year-old Jalynn Artis, reports CNN. The other person shot was Trayshaun Smith, 23, who is wanted on murder charges in Cook County, Illinois, per WISH TV. Police took him into custody upon learning of the warrant for his arrest when he and Artis showed up at a hospital seeking treatment for their non-life-threatening injuries.

According to Everytown Research, "at least 114 unintentional shootings by children, resulting in 47 deaths and 69 injuries nationally" have been reported this year; last year, there were 354 unintentional shootings, causing 157 deaths and 212 injuries, and in 2021, there were almost 400 shootings, killing 167 and injuring 248. The incident in Indiana was the second such unintended shooting of the week. Another occurred in Dallas on Tuesday, when a 4-year-old found an unsecured firearm and shot a 1-year-old sibling, causing non life-threatening injuries, reports CBS News, (More shooting stories.)