COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The silence of Tuesday night was broken by a gunshot and sirens.
Cobb County first responders arrived at an apartment complex off of White Circle Road and found a one-year-old child who had been shot in the head.
“Based on preliminary information, it indicates the child was able to get their hands on the handgun and accidentally shot themselves,” says Cobb County Police PIO Aaron Wilson.
The child’s father, Conrad Carrington Clark, was arrested and charged with manslaughter, reckless conduct, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
This is the second child killed similarly this week. On Monday, a 7-year-old boy was shot in the head after finding a loaded gun in the car. His father was inside a nearby convenience store.
The boys’ father, 42-year-old Dante Daugherty, was arrested on charges of second-degree murder and two counts of second-degree cruelty to children.
“These are preventable injuries and deaths,” Dr. Annie Andrews said.
Dr. Andrews is a pediatrician and a member of Everytown, an organization dedicated to stopping gun violence.
“Every year in this country, over 350 kids under the age of 15 are shot by an unsecured firearm,” Dr. Andrews said “These are unintentional shootings, meaning a child gained access to an unsecured firearm and unintentionally pulls the trigger.”
Dr. Andrews says the responsibility for keeping kids safe, falls on the parents.
“We can all start doing something today. That’s securely storing our firearms. Keeping them locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition,” Dr. Andrews said. “It is always the adults gun owners responsibility to ensure children do not gain access to unsecured firearms.”
Everytown tracks unintentional shootings by children online, which you can look at here.