In the US, a four-year-old has died after he found a gun in the back of a car and shot himself while his mother and her friend smoked cannabis in the front seat.
Jarion Walker shot himself at around 10.45pm on Saturday in a residential neighbourhood just across the Mississippi River from New Orleans, according to Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto.
The young boy was rushed to hospital but later died as a result of his injuries.
The boy's mother and friend have not been identified, and no arrests have been made at this time.
However, prosecutors could decide to file charges once they receive the case from the Sheriff's office.
Sheriff Lopinto said the mother and her friend admitted smoking cannabis at the time and have cooperated with investigators.
He said: "We can always put blame on people."
He added: "When it comes down to it, I don't think it was appropriate to make an arrest on this at this point. They've just lost a child, and it certainly wasn't intentional by any means."
The Sheriff said deaths like Jarion's are avoidable, and gun owners should secure their firearms and keep them away from children.
He said: "These types of deaths can certainly be prevented," the Sheriff said. "As a parent, we should never leave a gun inside of our vehicles for numerous different reasons, this one being the most tragic."
Mr Lopinto confirmed the gun belonged to Jarion's father, who was not in the car during the shooting.
The father had left the gun in the vehicle unbeknownst to Jarion's mother.
Investigators initially believed Jarion had been shot in the back of the head, leading them to focus on the two other children in the back seat.
However, both children, aged under two, would not have been able to operate the gun.
Jarion's autopsy later revealed he had suffered a contact wound to the forehead, which was supported by evidence investigators collected from the car, and so Mr Lopinto said officers had concluded Jarion shot himself.
Jarion's great-uncle, Charles Young, told Nola.com. The 4-year-old was jumping on his bed with his sister while visiting just days ago.
He said: "He was a good kid,"
"It's just so hard to believe that that little man is gone," he added.
