ORANGE COUNTY, Va. – A 4-year-old child fatally shot himself while he was at his babysitter's home Monday afternoon, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office received a 911 call at approximately 12:45 p.m. reporting that a 4-year-old child had somehow gotten ahold of a gun and shot himself, according to WTVR. Emergency responders were unable to resuscitate the boy, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Stafford County Sheriff’s Office recruit also lives at the same residence, according to officials, but the recruit was not home at the time of the incident. The firearm involved in the shooting was not a service weapon, officials said.
The family has set up a GoFundMe account to pay for their son's funeral expenses.
"Josh and I's son was the most lovable boy in this entire world," mother Kyrin Falcetti wrote. "He would say 1000000000000000000000000 times a day 'Daddy or Mommy, I love you' Just because. There is so much I could say about this little boy, this bio would be never ending."
"If you have a weapon, gun safety," father Josh Falcetti told WRC-TV. "It's something that they teach for any person that gets a weapon. Keep it secure. There's no reason a child should be within reach of any type of weapon whatsoever at any point in time."
Neighbor Susan Marsee said she can't help but hold on a little bit tighter to her 4-year-old son Benjamin.
"I was real sad to hear… when I saw it today… you know… that it was a little boy," said Marsee. "It brought me to tears because I have a son the same age."
Investigators are not releasing the details of what led up to the tragic event citing an ongoing investigation.
An autopsy is being conducted. No further information will be released until the investigation is complete, according to officials from the Orange Sheriff's Office.
