On Sunday, July 30, a tragic incident occurred in Mountain Village, Alaska, where a child was fatally shot with a loaded rifle by another child during a play session involving toy guns.
Alaska State Troopers were alerted to the incident at 1:45 am, following a report from local tribal and village police about the unfortunate event in the remote town.
The children were playing with Nerf guns when one of them grabbed a loaded rifle from the home, resulting in the fatal shooting. The identities of the involved children are being withheld.
Emergency health personnel arrived at the location, but the child’s life could not be saved, leading to a declaration of death on-site.
Family members have been notified, and an autopsy will be performed by the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Anchorage.
Mountain Village, a community of approximately 600 residents, is located about 470 miles from Anchorage. An adult was in the residence when the incident occurred. However, officials have stated that no legal charges will be pursued in relation to the event.
The circumstances of the rifle’s possession are still under investigation. If deemed unintentional, this will be the first such incident involving children in Alaska for the current year.