A Child Was Accidentally Shot And Killed By His 13-Year-Old Brother In Their Home

Police said the 13-year-old obtained the firearm from a case inside a closet in the primary bedroom and accidentally fired it, striking his brother in the torso.

An 11-year-old boy was accidentally shot to death by his 13-year-old brother in their home in Miami on Thursday.

Miami-Dade police said in a statement Friday that the sibling obtained a firearm from inside a case in a closet of the primary bedroom. While he was handling the gun, the 13-year-old accidentally fired it, striking his younger brother in the torso, police said.

The boy, identified as She'Marion Burse, was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital's Ryder Trauma Center, where he died of his injuries. According to police, Burse was 11 years old, but a GoFundMe page for the family said he was 10.

Police said the shooting occurred around 5 p.m. while the children's parents were still at work. Other siblings between the ages of 9 and 15 were also inside the home at the time.

Police said no charges are expected to be filed at this time. A spokesperson told BuzzFeed News they had no additional information about the investigation.

The boy's mother, Tiffany Callaway, described Burse as "the light of our life" on the family's GoFundMe page.

"Though none of you may have known him, I can tell you he was an amazing young boy," Callaway wrote. "Loving, playful and always there to put a smile on your face when you needed."

The American Public Health Association says gun violence in the US is a public health crisis. It is a leading cause of premature death in the country, responsible for more than 38,000 deaths annually. As of Nov. 11, at least 17,512 people have died from gun violence this year, and another 20,790 have died by suicide, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.

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