Adults not talking after toddler shoots self with stolen gun, Philadelphia police say
OLNEY (WPVI) -- Police say they are having a tough time getting information about the shooting death of a toddler who somehow got his hands on a stolen gun and accidentally pulled the trigger.
Ibn-Kareem Lawson, 2, died when he was struck by a bullet from 9mm handgun in a home on the 200 block of West Godfrey Street.
The gun was reported stolen from Cheltenham, Montgomery County in 2005.
"No one is coming forward with the truth about who put that gun in that house," said Lt. Walter Davenport. "We are going to keep working until the truth is discovered."
The gun used was missing for part of Thursday until the child's mother led police to a trash receptacle in the backyard.
"A two-year-old, soon to be three, is gone and the adults who were responsible for the weapon being there are claiming no responsibility, trying to avoid accountability for their actions," Davenport said. "It's disheartening."
Distraught friends and family members rushed to the scene Thursday afternoon as word spread about the shooting.
"The baby died. Oh no. Oh no. Oh, my God. Oh God bless his soul," one resident said.
Police said the child was shot in the basement of the row home before 2 p.m. They said at least two to four other people were in the home at the time of the shooting, however, it is not clear if they were in the same room.
Someone did call 911, but another call was made to the boy's father who came to the scene, picked the child up, and drove him to Albert Einstein Medical Center. Fifteen minutes later, the boy was pronounced dead.
Chopper 6 captured video of the father's car parked outside Einstein, cordoned off by crime scene tape.
Family members, including a woman believed to be the boy's distraught mother, came out of the home. She was eventually taken to the hospital.
"Still a lot of work to be done, and interviews to be conducted to find out what exactly happened here," Ryan said.
Neighbors said they saw the boy and his parents. Some said they didn't think the family lived here long. They were stunned by the violence and the age of the victim.
Christina Ward of Olney said, "My son used to run up and down the block with him, and try to play - try to grab his toys and stuff. The little boy was a good kid. The parents were friendly as well. It's just sad to hear this."
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