WESTWEGO, La. — A four-year-old boy was fatally shot in a car in Bridge City Saturday night, sheriff's deputies said.
The boy has been identified as Jarion Walker, according to Jefferson Parish Coroner Gerry Cvitanovich.
The child was with a younger sibling in a back seat of a car while two adults were smoking marijuana in the front seat when the shot was fired, a release from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office said Sunday afternoon.
Initially, investigators believed the gunshot wound was to the rear of the child's head, which led them to believe the injury wasn't self-inflicted.
After an autopsy, Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joe Lopinto held a press conference announcing that investigators believed the child shot himself, accidentally.
The autopsy found the gunshot entry was in fact in the child's forehead, which made a self-inflicted wound feasible.
The shooting happened outside a home in the 900 block of Stilwell Lane, in the neighborhood across the Westbank Expressway from the Alario Center.
JPSO deputies responded to the shooting around 10:45 p.m. Saturday, finding the child with a single gunshot wound.
The child was taken to a hospital for treatment but died as a result of the shooting.
Investigators with JPSO said they believe the shooting wasn't hostile but negligent.
"As the adults were smoking marijuana in the front seat, a shot was fired inside the vehicle that struck the victim, causing the fatal injury," the JPSO release said.
A JPSO spokesperson said firearm owners should have their guns properly secured at all times.
"Firearms should never be left unattended in vehicles or in the reach of children,' the spokesperson said. "Firearms should be stored unloaded and locked with a gun lock when possible."
The release said anyone in need of a gun lock can contact the JPSO Public Affairs Division at 504-363-5500 for a free gun lock.