Local news
The chief of the Crossville Police Dept. says a 7-year-old boy found shot inside a car in a parking lot Monday has died.
Officers say four children had been left in the car while their mother and step-father were inside the building a short distance away, paying a bill. The mother also left her purse with a loaded semi-automatic pistol inside.
Police say the boy's 8-year-old brother tried to unload the weapon by removing the magazine when the gun discharged, "accidentally" fired, hitting the 7-year-old boy in the head.
The boy was flown to UT Medical Center's trauma center for treatment, where he died.
Authorities say the incident appears to be an accident. The family is from the Sparta-area, in White County.
The chief of police says they will turn their findings over to the district attorney general. The Department of Children's Services is also working on the case.