Police: 4-year-old shot and killed after finding gun; 3 arrested including parents

GASTON COUNTY N.C. (WBTV) - A 4-year-old boy was shot and killed in Gaston County on Tuesday, police say.

According to Gaston County Police, the child was found dead after 4 p.m. from a gunshot wound at a home on Cindy Lane in Gastonia.

Investigators said the child’s mother, father and another relative living at the home failed to properly secure a gun. The boy and one of his siblings found the gun and while in possession, discharged it, which struck and killed the 4-year-old, according to authorities.

Police decided to arrest and charged all three adults with felony involuntary manslaughter, felony child abuse and a misdemeanor of storing a firearm in a manner accessible to a minor.

The suspects are 22-year-old Savannah Brehm and Hector Mendoza, and 21-year-old Keith Strughill.

”When a child’s involved, it’s very gut-wrenching. It’s heartbreaking. It’s very shocking to the system,” Gaston County Police Capt. Bill Downey said.

”I heard the news, what happened, and that just devastated me,” neighbor Sierra Stevens added. “And then I heard it was a 4-year-old, and I started bawling.”

While an investigation is underway to find answers, Downey did ask all gun owners to please keep their weapons sealed and locked somewhere safe and out of reach of children.

More details will be released when available. Follow the WBTV News app for the latest details.

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