Neighbors share heartbreak after 3-year-old finds 'unsecured' gun, pulls the trigger

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - DeKalb County police say a Decatur toddler died after finding an "unsecured" firearm at home.

Authorities responded to a shooting just before 7 a.m. When they got to the scene, they learned that person was a 3-year-old boy who somehow got ahold of a firearm and pulled the trigger, shooting himself in the face.

"I don’t even know the family, but I can feel their pain," one neighbor told FOX 5.

She and others, who did not want to be identified, said they were stunned and heartbroken to find out what happened.

"I really wish people would put the guns away … it really needs to stop," that neighbor said.

The woman told FOX 5 the news was distressing, especially after losing her own grandchild to gun violence recently.

"It hasn’t even been a year. This past summer … it hurts so bad," she said.

DeKalb County police say they believe the firearm was left unsecured and identified its owner as Antoine Jordan.

Jordan has been charged with murder in the second degree and cruelty to children. He is in custody at the Dekalb County Jail.