3-year-old shoots himself with loose gun, NC cops say. Family mourns ‘ray of sunshine’
A child died after accidentally discharging a loose gun, North Carolina deputies said.
The 3-year-old from Pink Hill found an “unsecured loaded handgun” and accidentally shot himself Jan. 14, according to a Jan. 25 Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office news release. His father is now facing charges in connection to the child’s death.
The toddler was taken to UNC Lenoir Health Care but was pronounced dead at the hospital, deputies said, as reported by WTVD.
The child was identified as Clarence Roland Byrd IV, the outlet reported.
Spider-Man was Clarence’s hero, as he was a “lover” of anything involving the superhero, according to his obituary. On a typical day, Clarence could be found hanging out on the living room floor with his blanket watching “Paw Patrol” on television, his obituary said.
He also had a tendency to follow his parents around “hanging on to one of their back pockets,” which earned him the nickname “little shadow,” his obituary said.
“Clarence was a very loving, smart, funny, energetic, talkative ray of sunshine,” the obituary said.
He was “beloved” by his family, including his little brother Theo — also called Teddy Bear, according to his obituary. Clarence had recently taken on the title of “Big Brother” after Theo was born, his obituary said.
“He will always remain their blonde haired, blue-eyed baby and they will hold him again in Heaven,” the obituary said.
His father, Clarence Byrd III, 29, was charged with involuntary manslaughter and negligent child abuse, according to the sheriff’s office.
Byrd turned himself in to the sheriff’s office and was being held on a secured bond, deputies said.
Thousands of people die every year from firearm injuries in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Firearm injuries are a serious public health problem,” officials said. “In 2022, there were more than 48,000 firearm-related deaths in the United States — that’s about 132 people dying from a firearm-related injury each day.”
Firearm-related injuries were the leading cause of death for children and teenagers ages 1-19 in 2022, the CDC reported.
Pink Hill is about 90 miles southeast of Raleigh.
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