6-year-old child fires a loaded gun in an Ikea store
A 6-year-old boy was wandering around an Ikea store while his parents were shopping when he found an abandoned firearm on one of the couches and firing it after a few minutes of playing with it.
The incident took place on Monday afternoon, June 25, 2018, in Indianapolis, the capital state of Indiana. Fortunately, no one was injured but an investigation has been opened.
The news was shared by CNN and, according to the network, IKEA has already apologized to the family of the young boy, whose name is yet to be revealed.
The Swedish furniture giant is fully cooperating with the proper authorities to find out how the weapon ended up on the couch and is currently believed that it belonged to one of the customers.
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Sgt. Tom Weger, from the Fishers Police Department, revealed that the man in question sat down on the couch to test it out and accidentally drop the firearm.
No names have been released in order to protect the identity of those involved in the incident, but the owner of the weapon has already been identified by the Fishers Police Department.
According to the Indiana law, a license is required to carry a handgun and, so far, it is unclear whether the man possesses one. What is known is that the gun owner only realized he was missing the weapon when he heard a shot being fired.
The case has been forwarded to the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office, where it will be reviewed and decided whether charges should be brought upon the gun owner or not.
Gun violence is rapidly increasing in the U.S. and this wasn't the first time that a child found a weapon and used it. In May, a 2-year-old from Virginia found a gun around the house and ended up shooting himself and dying at the hospital.
In March, a 7-year-old, identified as Jermon Perry, from Missouri, was shot and killed by his 5-year-old brother, who found their father's handgun inside a drawer while looking for candy. These cases just seem to keep on happening without measures being taken against them.