TAMARAC, Fla. – In what they called a “heartbreaking incident,” Broward County deputies have released the name of the 6-year-old boy they say fatally shot himself with an unsecured gun at a Tamarac condominium building on Monday afternoon.
According to the Broward Sheriff’s Office, Odaine Hall was being watched by his uncle at the apartment, located in the 5600 block of Rock Island Road.
Authorities said Odaine accidentally shot himself just before 3:30 p.m. and first responders found him suffering from a single gunshot wound. Medics pronounced him dead at the scene.
The case remains under investigation, according to BSO. Authorities have not announced any arrests or potential charges.
The tragedy, however, is one we document regularly.
Colleen Creighton, with the group “End Family Fire,” part of the Brady Campaign Against Gun Violence, said eight children are killed unintentionally every day in the U.S. by guns, often left loaded and unsecured.
“That’s eight kids. Eight families every day,” Creighton said. “Brothers and sisters, friends, peers. And it’s preventable and that’s the hardest part.”
The End Family Fire campaign aims to reduce the number of gun-related deaths in the U.S by promoting safe storage of firearms.
In South Florida alone, a 3-year-old accidentally shot herself while staying with relatives in Miami Dade last September.
In January, a 6-year-old shot himself in the arm in Hollywood.
In North Miami Beach, a 4-year-old shot himself in April.
Creighton insists it’s important to not only have tough conversations, but to also take action.
“We want to also normalize the conversation: ‘Do you have a gun in the home?’” she continued. “‘And if so, no judgment, is it securely stored so that my child doesn’t have access to it if they’re playing around with a friend?’”
She said, “There’s cable locks. There’s trigger locks. There are big safes, small safes, lock boxes.”
For more tips and information, visit the End Family Fire website.