The incident is not the first involving a young child and a gun in recent months. In Virginia, the mother of a 6-year-old who police say intentionally shot his first-grade teacher pleaded guilty to child neglect on Tuesday.
In July, a 17-year-old boy was arrested and charged with murder after shooting a 14-year-old to death in East Harlem.
Gun violence remains a leading cause of death among Americans. In 2023, more than 26,000 people have died from gunshot wounds, according to the Gun Violence Archive.