The incident occurred in Tampa Bay, Florida.
According to local media, two-year-old Kaleb Ahles was in the family car while his parents, Kevin Ahles and Christina Nigro, both aged 23, were loading some loaded boxes onto the vehicle. The child managed to open the car’s glove compartment and took his father’s weapon, a .380 handgun.
Little Kaleb turned the gun on himself and pulled the trigger. Police were called and Kaleb’s mother performed CPR, but the child was pronounced dead in hospital a short time later.
The event was described as a ‘tragic accident.’
The child’s parents will not face criminal charges, as according to Florida’s gun laws, it is perfectly legal to carry handguns inside a vehicle as long as they are either “securely encased” or not immediately available for use.
Securely encased in this context means in a glove compartment, whether or not such compartment is locked; snapped in a holster; in a gun case, whether or not locked; in a zippered gun case; or in a closed box or container which requires a lid or cover to be opened for access.