COLUMBIA, SC — A 3-year-old boy died after a gun was left unattended inside a South Carolina home, and police say the child’s uncle fled after the shooting. Columbia police identified the accused relative as 21-year-old Tyrone Thompson Jr., who is now charged in the case.
Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford said the child, Erin Myers, died from a gunshot wound. Authorities said the shooting happened Thursday night at the family’s home off Bailey Street. Myers was taken to a hospital after the shooting, but he did not survive.
Police say the child found an unsecured firearm in the room
The Columbia Police Department says Thompson left the gun in the room with the toddler, creating the conditions that led to the shooting. Investigators have not publicly described the exact sequence of events inside the home, but police say the weapon was not secured when the child was injured.
In cases involving very young children, the presence of a loaded or accessible firearm can turn a brief lapse into a fatal emergency. Here, officers say the child was alone with the weapon before he suffered the gunshot wound that killed him.
Uncle is charged with weapon possession after a prior felony conviction
Police said Thompson has been charged with possession of a weapon by a convicted felon. That charge focuses on his status and possession of the firearm, separate from the child’s death itself. Columbia police have not announced any additional charges at this time.
The department’s account also says Thompson did not stay to help after the shooting. Instead, investigators say he left the scene, which became part of the public description of his alleged conduct that night.
Authorities say Thompson did not help the child and threw away the gun
According to CPD, Thompson did not render aid after the child was shot. Police also say he disposed of the gun before running from the home. Those allegations suggest investigators believe there were multiple failures after the shooting, not only the unsecured firearm itself.
The department has not said where the weapon was discarded or whether it has been recovered. Officials also have not released further details about who else may have been in the house when the shooting happened.
Coroner identifies the victim and confirms the death at the hospital
Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford identified the victim as Erin Myers and said he was 3 years old. Rutherford said he died from a gunshot wound after being taken to the hospital from the Bailey Street home.
In a statement, Rutherford called the death heartbreaking and said her office would continue working with investigators to sort out what happened. Her comments underscored the gravity of the case as police and the coroner’s office continued gathering facts.
Fatal child shootings often turn on moments of unsecured access
This case centers on a familiar and preventable danger: a firearm left where a small child can reach it. Even a short period of inattention can have irreversible consequences when a toddler is near a weapon.
Police have not said whether the gun was loaded, how long it had been left unattended, or whether anyone tried to recover the child before emergency crews arrived. For now, the confirmed facts are that the child died, his uncle is charged, and investigators say the gun should not have been left within reach.
From the Twin Cities to the border and back, Travel Your Way keeps Minnesota informed.