5-year-old boy dies from accidental gunshot wound in Santaquin, police say

A 5-year-old child died Thursday from what police say was an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Santaquin police responded to a home in the 700 block of Canyon Road at 2:19 p.m., where a young boy had suffered a gunshot wound to the head. The boy was in a back bedroom and had somehow found a 9 mm handgun and discharged it, said Santaquin Police Lt. Mike Wall.

The parents, who were in a different room at the time, rushed to the child after hearing the gunshot and "did what they could to try to save the child," Wall said. Emergency medical services arrived and continued life-saving efforts, but the child was pronounced dead at the scene.

Wall said investigators do not suspect any foul play, calling it an accidental self-inflicted shot. The investigation is ongoing to discover how the child got hold of the gun.

Other siblings live at the residence but were not home at the time, he said.