Tragic Accident: Father Falls Asleep with Loaded .380 Pistol, 6-Year-Old Fatally Shot

In a heart-wrenching incident in Tennessee, a father awoke from a nap to the harrowing realization that his young son had accidentally shot himself. The tragic event unfolded after Steven Lamont Phillips, 56, had spent time playing with his 6-year-old son before dozing off. Phillips, whose son has been identified through a GoFundMe page as Steven Lamont Ricks, is now facing serious legal consequences.

Initially charged with aggravated child neglect and unlawful gun possession, Phillips’ charges were escalated to criminal homicide following the boy’s untimely death. This tragic accident took place at a residence on the 3100 block of Qualynn Drive in Nashville, where Phillips was reportedly looking after his son over the weekend.

The boy’s legal guardian, Phillips’ sister, was present at the home as well, but she had retired to take a nap, leaving Phillips responsible for the child. According to an arrest affidavit obtained by The Tennessean, Phillips had discovered a .380 caliber pistol in a ditch while doing yard work earlier that day. He chose to place the firearm in his pocket before heading back inside.

Having spent time playing with his son, Phillips succumbed to fatigue and fell asleep on the living room floor with the gun still in his pocket. It was during this nap that the tragic accident occurred, as detailed by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Phillips was abruptly awakened by the sound of a gunshot, only to discover the devastating scene.

The defendant played with his son, but fatigue apparently set in with him, too. He fell asleep on the floor with the pistol in his pocket “after playing with the child in the living room,” the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department announced. He said he then “awoke to the sound of a gunshot.”

The sound, as well as a muzzle flash, spurred him from his sleep, and he saw that Steven had shot himself in the head, police said. Phillips then reportedly yelled for his sister to call 911.

The boy was rushed to a hospital, where he was put on life support and later pronounced dead. Phillips was arrested the next day, the newspaper reported, adding that authorities said he was not allowed to possess a weapon as he is a convicted felon.

When investigators asked the father why he didn’t report the gun after finding it, he allegedly “responded that his phone was dead,” and when asked why he didn’t use his sister’s phone, he said that when he got back inside, “he started playing with his son and did not think about it,” per the affidavit.

Steven’s fundraiser remembers him as “Junebug,” a boy with autism who “brought so much joy and life to our family.”

“He had so much life ahead of him, and now it’s been cut short in the most heartbreaking way,” the GoFundMe adds. “We are devastated by the loss of Junebug, who was shot and killed at just 6 years old. Our family is struggling to cope with this unimaginable pain.”