Just before noon on Sunday, May 15, a 4-year-old boy was shot and killed.
According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth, Texas authorities responded to a shooting call at a home on the 7700 block of Greengage Drive around 11:42 a.m. on May 15.
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner identified the 4-year-old victim as Truth Albright. He was pronounced dead after being rushed to a local hospital.
Their initial investigation suggests that Albright was shot and killed by a sibling also living in the home. However, police wouldn’t tell the Fort Worth Star-Telegram how old the sibling was or if they believe it was an accident or not.
Larry Davison, a neighbor who lived several houses down from where Albright lived, said he never spoke to any members of the family before the shooting. However, he often saw two young boys playing outside the home.
According to Everytown for Gun Safety, “firearms are the second leading cause of death for American children and teens and the first leading cause of death for Black children and teens. Nearly 1,700 children and teens die by gun homicide every year.”
And as the Seattle Children’s Hospital reports, “one out of every three homes with children in the U.S. has a firearm.” It’s also important to talk to your children about guns and dangers the pose:
- Talk with your child about the risk of firearm injury in places they may visit or play.
- Explain that real firearms can kill or seriously injure people, unlike toy firearms or firearms shown on TV, in movies or in video games.
- Teach your child that if they find a firearm, they should leave it alone, leave the room, and tell an adult right away. While this training seems to work for some children, it doesn’t work for others. The only guarantee of safety is to lock up firearms.
- Teach your child to tell an adult right away if they see a firearm in someone’s backpack at school or if they hear someone is going to bring a firearm to school.
- Talk to your child about firearms and violence. Let them know that strong feelings like fear and anger can be expressed without using weapons.
CNN later reported that detectives have determined that the child’s parents will not face any charges as a result of the shooting. A spokesperson for the police department reportedly told the DailyMail:
“It has been determined that there will be no charges filed at this time. It’s a very unfortunate situation that occurred.”
ABC News reports that the children’s mother was sleeping in another room when the shooting occurred.
