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Ohio Police Officer’s 4-Year-Old Accidentally Kills Himself With Gun On Mother's Day
The Ohio State Highway Patrol said it's conducting an internal investigation into the incident since officer Fu "Frankie" Sun's firearm was given to him by the department.
In a tragic Mother’s Day accident, an Ohio State Trooper’s young son fatally shot himself in the face, according to reports.
Mere weeks after graduating from the police academy, Ohio Highway Patrol State Trooper Fu “Frankie” Young "was sleeping and had heard a pop sound that awoke him” on Sunday, according to a police report obtained by PEOPLE.
Dr. Diane Scala-Barnett, the Lucas County coroner, told the Toledo Blade newspaper that the victim, 4-year-old Evan Sun, “shot himself in the face after finding an unsecured weapon.”
Police said the boy was taken to a hospital shortly after the incident, where he then died. Scala-Barnett ruled the death an accident.
“Evan must have gone into the spare bedroom, found the weapon — which was unsecured — and was probably looking at the weapon and he discharged it. The gunshot wound goes right into the face — right into his eye,” Scala-Barnett said, according to PEOPLE.
Sgt. Tiffany Meek told ABC News on Thursday that Sun had been placed on administrative leave.
Additionally, Meeks said that the department would conduct an internal investigation into the incident, given its connection to a Division-issued weapon.
Ohio State Highway Patrol has guidelines on how department-issued firearms are meant to be secured.
"Officers are responsible for the safe storage of Division-issued or approved firearms at all times [on or off-duty]. Trigger locks, cable locks, safes, lock boxes, or other means approved by the Division armorer must be used to store Division-issued weapons to prevent access from unauthorized persons," the policy guidelines, some of which were shared with ABC News, state.
“The Patrol family is deeply saddened by the devastating loss of Trooper Sun’s child,” Patrol Superintendent Richard S. Fambro said in a statement. “There are no words to describe such a loss. Our thoughts and prayers have been, and will continue to be, with Trooper Sun, his family, friends and co-workers.”
