Boy, 9, shoots himself on New Year’s day: gun not found

An unfortunate incident occurred in the United States where a 9-year-old boy shot himself on New Year’s day.

Chicago police reported about the incident saying that a 9-year-old boy pointed a loaded gun at his head and shot himself in a crowded Chicago home on New Year’s Day.

The newspaper Chicago Tribune reported that the 9-year-old victim named Jarvis and five other children were in the home at the time of the shooting.

Two police reports on the incident have slightly different versions of events, with one saying Watts’ mother told the children to go change their clothes, meanwhile, she waited in the kitchen, heard “loud screams,” and saw her son come down the stairs, calling for her, before collapsing on the living room floor.

The second report says that another woman in the home heard a “loud pop.” She found the boy on the floor with wounds to his face, neck, and hand, she later called 911. Jarvis was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before 8 pm.

The Medical Examiner’s Office of Cook County said Jarvis Watts died from multiple gunshot wounds and ruled his death a homicide, meanwhile, police labeled the shooting a death investigation rather than a homicide investigation.

Even with the obvious gunshot wounds on the body, police did not find a firearm from the residence, and at least one person on the scene told investigators they were unaware there was a gun there, on the other hand, officers did find a bullets shell casing

One witness — another child — told investigators that Watts was playing with the gun in an upstairs bedroom before the shooting on Sunday night.