Grandfather arrested after 7-year-old boy dies after finding gun

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — A man has been arrested after his grandson found a gun in his truck and shot himself with it in Berkeley, Missouri, earlier in the week.

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Walter Macon, 45, was arrested Tuesday and charged with endangering the welfare of a child and armed criminal action, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

On Monday, Darnell Macon, 7, was found shot inside a truck around 10 a.m. in the 6700 block of Larry Lane, according to the newspaper.

Macon found his grandson shot in the head when he got back to his truck, KMOV reported. Macon was loading studio equipment into the truck and allowed his grandson to climb into the back seat and then into the front seat. He left Darnell Macon there for about five minutes.

When Macon got back to his truck, he found his grandson with a gunshot wound to his head, police said, according to the news outlet. He reportedly told police that he knew the gun was in the truck when he allowed Darnell Macon to get inside.

When police searched the truck, they found a loaded .40 caliber Smith and Wesson between the driver’s seat and the center console, according to KMOV.

Darnell Macon was pronounced dead at the scene, The Associated Press reported.

The same day, a 5-year-old girl was also shot and killed in Belleville, Missouri, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.