Report: 3-year-old boy dies after shooting himself in head at Beaufort Co. home

BEAUFORT COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - Police say a 3-year-old boy died after a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at an apartment in Port Royal earlier this month.

It happened at a home at Oak Hill Terrace apartments on Ribaut Road.

Port Royal Police Capt. J.H. Griffith said Thursday they do not anticipate any charges being filed in the case, and the weapon involved was in a kitchen drawer.

Police received a phone call about a “negligent discharge” of a gun that resulted in a death at an apartment on Dec. 3.

When an officer arrived he found a “visibly distraught” man, later identified as the father, in the living room along with the victim who was suffering from a gunshot wound and lying next to a couch.

Police say a 2-year-old girl was also in the room and was escorted out of the home by a police officer.

EMS and fire units also responded to the scene with medical personnel pronouncing the victim dead.

Copyright 2021 WCSC. All rights reserved.