A 3-year-old Florida boy accidentally shot himself fatally in the face with his father’s handgun while the family sat in a Burger King drive-thru, according to Polk County authorities.
The child, who was days away from turning 4, died Thursday evening in Bartow after grabbing a Glock from the car seat where his father had placed it, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a press conference. The family had relocated from Connecticut just four months earlier, a move that would prove tragically relevant when the father’s credit card was declined at the window.
Because the transaction was flagged, the dad took out his phone to deal with the credit card company. During that distraction, he removed his pistol from his waistband and set it on the seat while searching for another payment method, deputies said. The boy, playing in the backseat, found the weapon and discharged it.
“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 bystander called 911 and first responders rushed the child to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:30 p.m.
“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,” Judd said at the press conference.
The father possesses a valid concealed carry permit, though Florida does not require one, according to the sheriff. State culpable negligence laws allow for a third-degree felony charge when a child gains access to a firearm and causes harm, Judd noted. However, he indicated prosecutors would likely face little pressure to pursue charges based on the current evidence.
“If the investigation concludes, according to what we see now, certainly we would not have any energy at all for suggestive criminal charges,” Judd said.
Bartow Deputy Chief Kyle Dowdy addressed the emotional toll on 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.”
He continued, “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.”
Dowdy added that officers were “having a tough time with this one.”
The Florida State Attorney’s Office will make the final determination on whether to file charges against the father.