A tragic incident in Florida has resulted in the death of a four-year-old boy who accidentally discharged a loaded handgun retrieved from his mother's purse on 21 June. The child climbed onto a kitchen stool and reached into the purse, which had been left on the kitchen island, extracting a .380 calibre Smith & Wesson pistol before shooting himself in the face. His mother, Diamond Phillips (aged 29), was arrested in September and charged with culpable negligence involving a firearm accessible to a minor, having stored the unsecured, loaded weapon in a discreet compartment of her handbag.

Forensic evidence indicated that the boy was likely looking down the barrel of the handgun when it discharged, with a bullet fragment subsequently recovered from the kitchen ceiling. The grandmother, who was present and supervising the children at the time, had reprimanded both the boy and his younger brother moments before the shooting occurred. Phillips stated she kept the firearm for personal safety whilst away from home; she had believed the purse's placement on the island rendered it inaccessible because her children had been instructed not to climb on the stools or access the counter. She was released on a $10,000 bond and is scheduled for arraignment on 6 November.