Who was Leighton Owings? Indiana boy, 2, shot himself dead with handgun as mom fed baby sister in next room
FAIRMOUNT, INDIANA: A two-year-old boy reportedly picked up a handgun and accidentally shot himself as his mother fed her newborn daughter in the next room, according to police. The boy, identified as Leighton Owings, died in the tragic incident, which occurred on Tuesday, December 15, after he found the nine-millimeter Ruger handgun in a bedroom at his home.
The young boy's mother, 22-year-old Caci Seals, was just a few feet away from the child when the tragedy occurred around 12.20 pm. The toddler was rushed to the Marion General Hospital nearby, where doctors attempted to save his life, but Leighton succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. A spokesperson for the Indiana State Police spokesman said: "Evidence indicates the boy pulled the trigger on the Ruger and was struck by a single bullet," WTHR reported. Police added that an investigation is currently ongoing into the child's death and that the findings will be passed to a prosecutor once the probe concludes.
A GoFundMe page set up for Leighton's funeral costs stated: "Leighton unexpectedly passed away on December 15, 2020. Our family is understandably shocked by this loss and unfortunately not prepared for all that goes along with planning a funeral at this time. If you knew Leighton, you’d know that he was smart, funny and fun to be around. He loves his family and loved life. We are raising money to assist with unexpected funeral costs, services, and time Noah (Caci's fiance) will have to take off of work to care for Caci and Raelynn. We are forever grateful and overwhelmed by your kindness, prayers, love and support during this time." Noah Collins' sister, Amber Wilson, who launched the fundraiser, wrote: "We are all so very saddened by the sudden loss of this sweet sweet boy." The fundraiser raised over $8,000 as of Thursday, December 17, morning.
In another seemingly similar but unrelated incident, an 11-year-old boy fatally shot himself in California during a virtual school lesson being conducted on Zoom on Wednesday, December 2. The boy, identified as Adan Llanos, killed himself at his home in Woodbridge during his morning online class. The child's sister reportedly heard the gun go off in Adan's room and went to check on him where she found him wounded in a pool of blood. She reportedly told her own teacher about what had happened and then rushed to find a neighbor who dialed 911 for emergency services. The child was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries with his parents by his side.
San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, in a statement, revealed that the 11-year-old had switched off his Zoom class audio and video when he shot himself. This meant that no one else in the class at Woodbridge Elementary School witnessed the tragedy. After the boy's demise, his aunt Alejandra Carillo, set up a GoFundMe page stating: "Today was a very difficult day for our family. We just lost our nephew from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His name is Adan Llanos and was only 11 years old. I know Aron and Mirna are such great parents, I can’t even imagine what they are going through."