A 9-year-old in Kentucky has died after he was accidentally shot during target practice with his family and friends Monday.
Kentucky State Police were called to a home on Fox Hollow Road in Beattyville about 6 p.m. Monday after the shooting, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader. Lee County sheriff’s and emergency medical officials arrived to the scene and found Jeremiah Fox with a gunshot wound to his chest.
The child was flown to the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center but later died in the emergency room.
The initial KSP investigation showed the gun malfunctioned and fired on accident, and the bullet hit Jeremiah in the chest. A state police detective and the Fayette County Coroner’s office are investigating.
Jeremiah’s family has created a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs because Jeremiah did not have insurance. The fundraising has raised more than $7,600, which exceeds the goal of $7,500.
“His loss is almost more than we can bear so please help us with one less worry on our minds. Money will go towards funeral and tombstone for our baby,” reads a message on the GoFundMe page.
A 2017 report led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that on average about 1,287 children and adolescents die from gun violence each year in the U.S.
Based on the data, an average of 5,790 American children receive medical treatment in an emergency room each year for a gun-related injury and about 21% of those injuries are unintentional.
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