5-year-old boy fatally shot in Kenwood found sister's gun in purse, police say

A 5-year-old boy fatally shot himself Sunday afternoon after finding a gun in his sister’s purse while she was showering inside a Kenwood apartment.

The boy was shot in his head about 1:15 p.m., while in the home in the 4400 block of South Greenwood Avenue, Chicago police said.

His 29-year-old sister, a concealed carry holder with a firearm owners identification card, had her gun in a black zipper purse on a bed and was showering when she heard a loud noise come from one of the bedrooms in the apartment, according to a police report.

Responding officers found a black handgun on the bed and blood on the carpet, according to the police report.

According to the report, the boy’s mom was not at home, but another sister, 25, was in another room at the time and also heard the gunshot and saw the boy.

He was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where he was initially listed in critical condition, police said. He was later pronounced dead at 5:06 p.m. Sunday, according the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Police were questioning an individual in connection with the shooting, but no charges have been announced.