Arlington toddler dies after shooting himself with sibling's gun, police say

Arlington police say that the boy, who was about to turn 3, found a gun in his teenage sibling's room and accidentally fired it.

ARLINGTON, Texas - An Arlington toddler is dead after police say he shot himself early Tuesday morning.

Arlington police were called to a home on Pocassett Drive shortly after midnight. Investigators say that the boy, who was about to turn 3 in a couple of weeks, found a gun in his teenage sibling's room and accidentally fired it, shooting himself in the face.

"When officers arrived on scene, they located the 2-year-old, who had an apparent gunshot wound to the face. Life-saving measures were performed. The child was transported to a local hospital where he was unfortunately pronounced deceased," said Arlington PD Sgt. Courtney White.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's Office identified the boy as Rio Carrington. At this time, no criminal charges have been filed, but police are still investigating.

"My mother heard the sirens when they came at like 12:30 or 1 a.m.," said neighbor Davion McConnell.

When McConnell left for work hours later, he says Arlington police still had his street blocked off.

"Maybe like 10 cop cars or whatever," he said.

Everyone who was inside the home at the time is being questioned by police.

"It appears it was an adult and several children inside the home in different areas of the home," said White.

The child's mother and the teenage sibling whose room was where the toddler found the gun were among those questioned.

"Currently our detectives are trying to trace exactly where the weapon came from and how it entered into the home," White said.

Police have not revealed the type or caliber of the weapon. It is also unclear if the child's mother knew the gun was in the home, and whether it was obtained legally.

Despite those unanswered questions they're issuing a desperate plea.

"Just an overall bad situation, for lack of a better term. That is why we enforce and try to tell the public please lock your handguns up, they can get into the wrong hands, or they can get into a child’s hands," White said.

Arlington police are not releasing the age of the teenager, only saying he’s a minor.

Patty Brown lives down the street.

"When you try to put yourself in their shoes, it’s just a lot. It’s too much," she said.

The mother of three says she slept through the sirens only to wake up to news a little boy who lived nearby lost his life.

"I could not even imagine. There is now way I could imagine that," she said.

Arlington police not releasing the type or caliber of the weapon. Investigators are also not revealing if there were other weapons in the home as well.