SMITHFIELD, Utah, Aug. 3, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A Smithfield boy is dead after he found a loaded handgun inside unpacked camping gear after his family returned late from a camping trip the night before.
Smithfield Police Chief Travis K. Allen shared the details in an e-mail to Gephardt Daily, saying the call came to dispatch at about 9 a.m. Sunday.
“It was reported that the family had returned home late from a camping trip the night before and did not unpack their belongings from the trip,” Allen wrote. “There was a loaded handgun within the packed belongings.
“The 5-year-old child had awoken early and had gone down to the main living area of the home. It appeared he had been playing in the same area of where the unpacked camp belongings were. At some point, the child found the loaded firearm and the firearm had discharged while he was handling it. The child was struck in the head.”
The boy’s parents came downstairs and found the boy dead, Allen’s statement says.
“No other persons were injured and the victim’s siblings in the home were still in bed.”
As the investigation is still ongoing, the child’s name has not been released at this point.
