In the Olney section of Philadelphia on a Thursday afternoon, a tragic incident cut short the life of 2-year-old Ibn-Kareem Lawson. On November 9, 2017, the young boy was in the basement of a home on the 200 block of West Godfrey Avenue when he came across a handgun. Believed to be large enough to handle the weapon, he accidentally shot himself once in the head.
His father, who was not publicly identified by name, rushed him to Einstein Medical Center.
Despite the immediate effort to get him medical attention, the toddler was pronounced dead at 2:29 p.m., shortly after the shooting that occurred around 2:15 p.m.
Philadelphia police officials investigating the heart-wrenching event later located the handgun in a trash can behind the residence. It was discovered that the firearm had been reported stolen in Cheltenham in 2015. Homicide Captain John Ryan stated that while the investigation would include forensic analysis to determine who might have possessed the stolen gun, the death was being treated as a tragic accident.
In the immediate aftermath, authorities announced that they did not anticipate filing any charges in connection with the fatal shooting. While other individuals were present in the house at the time of the incident, specifics about who they were and their relationship to the child were not released. The District Attorney's Office stated that the investigation was ongoing but did not provide further comment.
