A 3-year-old Florida boy fatally shot himself in the face after picking up his father’s handgun at a Burger King drive-thru Thursday, authorities said. His father had been distracted while trying to pay for dinner.
According to FOX 13 Tampa Bay, the father had been carrying the pistol in his waistband. When his credit card was declined at the Bartow restaurant, he removed the weapon and placed it inside the vehicle while dealing with the payment problem. That gave his son, who was sitting in the back seat, an opportunity to reach the gun and pull the trigger.
“We also know, at least from the initial info, that we can see where there is a bullet hole directly through the roof, and the child shot in the face,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said during a news conference.
The child was expected to turn 4 on Monday.
The family had relocated from Connecticut to Florida about four months ago. Authorities said the recent move likely prompted the credit card company to flag the transaction.
As the father spoke with the credit card company on his phone, deputies said, he placed his Glock on the seat while looking for another way to pay. His attention remained focused on resolving the declined transaction.
Police said the boy soon picked up the handgun, causing it to fire.
“So, subjectively … we think dad took the gun out, laid it down … and while he’s trying to figure out how to pay for dinner on the credit card, the child obviously sees the gun, picks it up, is playing with it, and shoots himself in the face,” Judd told reporters.
A witness called 911, and emergency responders transported the child to a nearby hospital. He was pronounced dead at approximately 7:30 p.m.
The father has a valid concealed-carry permit, although Sheriff Judd noted that Florida law does not require one.
Under Florida’s culpable-negligence laws, a parent may face a third-degree felony charge if a child gains access to a firearm and someone is injured, the sheriff said.
The Florida State Attorney’s Office will make the final decision about whether to pursue charges. However, Judd suggested that prosecutors may not seek criminal charges based on the information currently available.
“Quite frankly, if the investigation concludes, according to what we see now, certainly we would not have any energy at all for suggestive criminal charges,” he said.
Bartow Deputy Chief Kyle Dowdy said the tragedy had deeply affected responding officers.
“This is an absolute tragedy,” Dowdy said. “There is going to be a family without a son tonight, without a nephew, without a cousin.
“There’s going to be a mom and dad that are going to try and pick up the shambles of this horrific event, and in the end, the community itself is hurting.”