Three-year-old Erin Myers died Thursday afternoon after shooting himself inside an apartment in Columbia, South Carolina. Police say the child found a loaded gun left out in the open and pulled the trigger.
Emergency crews responded to the Colony Apartments around 5:40 p.m. following a call about a gunshot victim. Richland County deputies hurried the boy to a local hospital, but medical staff could not save him. Coroner Naida Rutherford later confirmed Erin died from a single gunshot wound.
Officers interviewed adults at the scene to piece together how the weapon ended up in the toddler’s hands. Erin was inside the home with three adults at the time, including his mother, father, and 21-year-old uncle, Tyrone Thompson Jr.
Investigators determined that Thompson brought the firearm into the home and left it lying around within the boy’s reach. Erin picked up the unattended gun shortly before it went off.
Police reported that Thompson did not call 911 or try to render aid after the shot fired. Instead, he picked up the weapon, ran out of the apartment, and fled the scene on foot.
Thompson dumped the handgun somewhere nearby during his escape to hide it from police. Officers searched the surrounding neighborhood for the weapon, but investigators had not located it by Friday morning.
Richland County deputies tracked Thompson down later that night and arrested him. Police charged him with weapon possession by a convicted felon because his criminal record prohibited him from having a gun.
Deputy Police Chief Melron Kelly stated that investigators do not suspect Erin’s parents were involved with the illegal gun. Police reminded residents that all local precincts offer free gun locks to help prevent home accidents.
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