8-year-old dies after accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound at Lehi gas station
Curtis Booker, Daily Herald
Police assess the scene at a Maverik gas station in Lehi where a young child suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound Monday, Sept. 2, 2024.An 8-year-old boy has died as the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head after an accidental shooting at a Lehi gas station Monday evening, officials announced Tuesday morning.
The Lehi Police Department says officers responded to the Maverik gas station near Thanksgiving Point, located at 3569 N. Thanksgiving Way, at around 7:40 p.m. on reports of someone with a possible gunshot wound to the head.
An off-duty officer and bystanders provided assistance until first responders arrived.
“Life saving measures were made by officers that responded to the scene as well as bystanders,” said Jeanteil Livingston, spokesperson for the Lehi City Police Department, in an emailed statement. “The victim was transported to a local Lehi hospital in extreme critical condition and was airlifted to a hospital up north. He passed away the morning of Tuesday, September 3, 2024.”
Initially, authorities did not disclose the minor’s age or gender. A witness described to KSL TV how they heard a mother yelling for help.
The witness, Doug Shields, told KSL the child’s mother said she and the victim — her son — had gone to the store to get a treat when the shooting happened.
Police said the child was in the car by themselves at the time of the shooting after the parents went inside of the gas station. The shooting was self-inflicted, but accidental.
Authorities are working to determine how the child accessed the gun.
Smith called the incident tragic and encouraged parents to make sure firearms are safely stored and not of easy access to children.
The recent incident marks the second time in less than three weeks that a young child gained access to a firearm in Utah County, with both ending in a fatalities.
On Aug. 22, the Santaquin Police Department said a 5-year-old boy died after he accidentally shot himself.
In that instance, the boy was in a bedroom in the back of the home, somehow got a hold of a 9 mm handgun and fired a shot, according to police. The boy’s parents were said to be in another room inside the home when the gun was discharged and quickly rushed to their child.
According to Everytown Research and Policy, Utah is one of 25 states in the country that does not have a secure storage law that prevents prohibited access to guns by children and requires gun owners to ensure firearms are locked up.
