Toddler dies from self-inflicted gunshot wound in California

A 2-year-old boy accidentally shot himself in the head Saturday, and died, police said.

The toddler’s parents were not home during the shooting in Fresno, California, but two adults were at the house, Fresno Police Department’s Rob Beck told ABC30. The Fresno Bee reports those adults were the father’s fiancee and a friend.

When officers arrived Saturday afternoon, the toddler was still breathing, but despite “intense life-saving efforts,” doctors were unable to save him, police told Central Valley TV stations.

It wasn’t immediately clear who owns the firearm and why the child had it. The child was in a bedroom when he shot himself with the gun, ABC30 reports.

“If you have firearms in the home, they need to be locked and out of reach of children,” Beck told ABC30.

California law requires guns to have an approved locking device. If a child is injured or dies from a gun that isn’t safely stored, the gun owner could be found guilty of a misdemeanor or a felony.