A 21-year-old Florida woman was accidentally killed after a toddler allegedly shot her in the head during a video call, police said on Thursday.
A member attending the same work-related zoom conference call alerted police when they saw the woman – identified as Shamaya Lynn – fall backward with a loud noise and saw a toddler in the background, Altamonte Springs police said in a statement.
Lynn died from a gunshot wound to her head.
“Investigators determined that the injury was caused by a toddler who found a loaded handgun, which was left unsecured by an adult in the apartment,” police said.
The woman’s relationship with the child was not revealed by the police. NBC-affiliated Wesh reported that she was the toddler’s mother.
According to initial information, the gun belonged to the father of the woman’s two young children. None of the children were harmed in the incident.
“If you own a firearm, please keep it locked and secured,” police officer Roberto Ruiz Jr was quoted as saying by Wesh. “Incidents like this could be avoided,” he added.
The incident comes as the US has been witnessing increasing firearm-related crimes. There have been at least 369 unintentional shootings by children younger than 18 in 2020 and 142 people died in such incidents, according to gun control advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety.
In Chicago earlier this month, a four-year-old girl was accidentally shot in the chest by another toddler at her home, leading to the girl’s death.
In North Carolina in February, a 25-year-old mother was accidentally shot dead after one of her children found a gun in her purse.
