Boy, 3, fatally shot his mom with a gun he found in the back seat of her car. ‘This child has to go through this trauma for the rest of his life’

CHICAGO — A trip to the supermarket in Dolton turned fatal this weekend when a 3-year-old boy found a gun in the back seat of a vehicle, picked it up and accidentally shot his mother, killing her.

Dejah Bennet, 22, was pronounced dead at University of Chicago Medical Center at 9:34 p.m. Saturday, according to information from the Cook County medical examiner’s office. She was rushed to the hospital after emergency responders located her suffering from a gunshot wound at the Food 4 Less Fuel Center, 1000 E. Sibley Blvd. in Dolton, officials said.

Andrew Holmes, a trustee for the city of Dolton and a community activist, said the shooting happened at Food 4 Less after Bennet and her son went grocery shopping. Soon after Bennet put the child in his car seat and she sat down in the driver’s seat, the toddler found and picked up a gun that had been left unattended.