Police: 3-year-old boy dies after finding gun, shooting himself

A toddler is dead after finding a gun and shooting himself, according to Greenville police.

On Friday night around 10 p.m., Greenville police and fire rescue were called to the 200 block of Beech Street.

A 3-year-old boy had been shot and was rushed to ECU Health Medical Center. Despite emergency responders’ life-saving efforts, the boy was pronounced dead.

An initial investigation suggests the child got a hold of a gun inside a residence and suffered a self-inflicted wound. GPD is withholding the name of the child at this time to allow family to make proper notifications.

On social media, Greenville police say while the incident is still under investigation, it does not appear the firearms were improperly stored in a way that would fail to protect the child.

"The adults in the home are believed to have taken precautions to keep the weapon out of reach," they wrote on social media.

After consulting with the Pitt County District Attorney’s Office, the incident has been ruled a tragic accident. No charges are expected to be filed.