Lubbock Police releasing new information into the accidental shooting death of a 5 year old. Police said the child’s father was cleaning a rifle, unaware there was a round in the chamber, when the gun went off. The bullet went through a wall then struck the child in the chest.
Lubbock Police were called to the report of an accidental shooting just after 6:00 p.m. Tuesday in the 2500 block of 71st Street. Police at the scene said a 5-year-old child was pronounced dead after being taken by EMS to Covenant Medical Center.
“Unfortunately a child did die after being transported to Covenant Women and Children’s from a gun shot wound. It appears to be accidental but we have steps that we have to take,” said Sergeant Jason Lewis with Lubbock Police.”
Lewis said detectives with the Juvenile Crimes unit were called out to the scene to investigate.
“We just get names and things like that so [the family will] talk to [juvenile] detectives and they’ll give statements and that’s where we’ll learn exactly how it happened and where everybody was and what the circumstances were surrounding it,” said Lewis.
A neighbor, Odessa Riojas, who said her husband was cousins with the boy’s parents, said her kids would play with the victim regularly.
“My thoughts are ‘How am i supposed to explain death to my kids?’ That was their friend. That’s all I can think about right now,” said Riojas, who has two children of her own.
“We have counselors coming out to talk to the family and help family members and we’ll just go from there and hopefully the family will be able to survive the tragedy,” Lewis added.
“He would just run around without his shoes on everywhere,” Riojas said, sharing a fond memory of the 5-year-old. “We used to go over there for barbecues. I can’t imagine losing my kid.”
Both parents and one sibling were home at the time of the shooting, according to police.
