Police responded to a shooting Saturday evening on Hammock Street in Griffin and found the 12-year-old boy with a gunshot wound to the chest.
The child was taken to the hospital, where he died.
Special investigators interviewed the siblings of the victim, who are 5 and 7 years old.
“The interview produced extensive evidence that the 5-year-old found a gun in the wooded area near the location of the shooting ... and, thinking it was a toy, accidentally discharged it," police said.
In an earlier search of the same area, police found a bag of suspected MDMA but did not find a gun.
Police are now searching for whoever left the gun in the woods. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation crime lab is examining the gun for DNA evidence.
“We will diligently pursue and charge any other parties responsible for the actions leading up to the apparent abandonment of this weapon, allowing for access by these innocent children,” police said. “Our hearts cry out for this family during this time of tragic loss.”
The names of the children were not released.
About the Author