3-year-old dead after finding handgun that fell out of family member’s pocket at birthday party

A Texas boy celebrating his third birthday shot himself in the chest Saturday afternoon and died, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said.

The pistol used in the incident apparently fell out of a family member’s pocket during the birthday celebration, deputies said, and the boy found it.

Deputies were called to the home in Porter — a community in the Houston/The Woodlands/Sugar Land metropolitan area —  at about 4:15 p.m., the sheriff’s office said, and took the boy to a fire station, where he was pronounced dead.

How do you protect your children from predators? Join Nancy Grace and a team of world-class experts for the online course ‘Justice Nation: Crime Stops Here’.

Family members said they were playing cards when they heard a gunshot and found the boy with a wound to the chest.

The sheriff’s office provided no further information about the incident.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of this tragic accident,” the office said in a statement.

For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast:

Join Nancy Grace for her new online video series designed to help you protect what you love most – your children.

[Featured image: Pixabay]