8-year-old dies after accidentally shooting himself in head

LEHI, Utah — An 8-year-old child has died hours after he accidentally shot himself in the head outside a Lehi gas station Monday night.

Lehi Police said officers were called to a Maverik gas station at 3569 N. Thanksgiving Way around 7:40 p.m. Callers reported a possible gunshot wound to a child's head inside a vehicle.

Some officers were reportedly already nearby, so they responded fairly quickly, according to a police department spokesperson.

Bystanders and officers attempted lifesaving measures until the boy was taken to a local hospital via ambulance in extremely critical condition. He was then transported to another hospital farther north for treatment.

Early Tuesday, police said the boy, whose family is from Lehi, had died from his injuries.

Police said the boy was alone in the car at the time of the shooting and that it appeared to be self-inflicted, but accidental. They added that the child's parent appeared to have been inside the gas station at the time.

An investigation is underway to determine how the boy got his hands on the gun.

The death comes weeks after a 5-year-old Santaquin boy accidentally shot and killed himself after finding a 9mm handgun in his parents' bedroom . The child's parents were in the home at the time of the shooting. Police said they were not going to pursue charges against the family.

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