Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Chicago Tribune-Five Year Old Boy Killed by His Twin Playng With Gun

Jonathan Jackson, 5 years old, accidentally killed by twin brother: Chicago Tribune
(Story reported by Pat Curry, Jae Miller, Deanese Williams-Harris, and Duaa Eldeib for the Chicago Tribune)

Five-year-old Jonathan Jackson and his twin brother had just been given their baths and were playing in their room, about to settle down for the night before their first day in kindergarten.

Then a shot rang out.

Jonathan's brother ran from the room in his pajamas, followed by Jonathan, who was crawling and bleeding from his abdomen, relatives say.

Jonathan was rushed by ambulance from his two-flat in the 700 block of South California to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 11:07 p.m. Monday from a gunshot wound.  He would have turned 6 next month.

The Cook County medical examiner's office today ruled the death a homicide, meaning that Jonathan's death was caused by someone besides himself. The ruling is not an indication of criminality or intent.

A doctor at the medical examiner's office declined to elaborate on the ruling, saying it was based on physical evidence at the scene.

Relatives said the boys, who were nearly identical and inseparable, had been playing when they found the gun.

Some believe Jonathan was shot by his brother, others wonder whether Jonathan may have shot himself.

At the home this morning, Jonathan's great-uncle Bruce Prince said relatives were in other parts of the home -- a great-grandmother who is bedridden was in her room, their grandmother was in the kitchen and their mother was on the porch -- when everyone heard the gunshot.

The other twin "ran out of the room and Jonathan crawled out," Prince said.

Jonathan was gasping for breath as his grandfather picked him up and carried him outside the house for the ambulance.

"He was in shock I think," Prince said. "He sort of had a wheezing cry. He couldn't talk. You could see the panic in his face."

(click here to read the full story on the Chicago Tribune website. May GOD Rest the soul of little Jonathan and comfort his twin and family in their time of grief and need.)

2 comments:

msladyDeborah said...

Somebody grown in this household needs to be held accountable for this tragic incident.

When are people going to learn that gun ownership is a major responsibility? No matter how Jonathan was shot-the owner of the gun should needs to be held accountable.

Bmc said...

@msladydeborah: This is a truly tragic story, and GOD Rest the soul of little Jonathan, and may HE comfort his twin and his family in their time of grief and need. And I agree, if one is going to own a gun, and have it in the home around children, then accountability and responsibility are of the utmost importance.