Washington Boy, 16, Kills Friend, 14, While Playing With Handgun

A 14-year-old boy died after he was accidentally shot by his 16-year-old friend while playing with a handgun, according to police.

The shooting occurred at a house in Burien, a suburb of Seattle, at around 8:20 p.m. on August 14. When officers from the King County Sheriff's Office arrived at the scene, they discovered the 14-year-old in critical condition. He was taken by Kings County medics to the Harborview Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.

King County spokesman Sergeant Ryan Abbott said it appears the boy was shot by his friend while the two were playing with a gun, calling it a "tragic accident," reports The Seattle Times.

Authorities said adults were inside the home at the time of the shooting and are co-operating with the investigation, according to TV station KIRO 7.

"I think the important thing to remind everybody is guns aren't toys and they're dangerous if proper firearm safety rules are not applied," Abbott said, according to KomoNews.com.

Police said that the 16-year-old is in custody and that detectives are trying to determine whether charges should be filed against him. Detectives are investigating the incident, including who owns the gun.

In July, an investigation was launched in Muscoy, California, after a 2-year-old girl was accidentally killed by her 4-year-old male cousin.

The 4-year-old is believed to have killed the infant after picking up and accidentally firing a handgun that had been left "in an area that was accessible to the children" inside the home, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department.

Officers later arrested the owner of the gun, 53-year-old Cesar Lopez, the victim's grandfather, on suspicion of child endangerment and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

According to the independent research group Gun Violence Archive, 429 children under the age of 11 have been killed or injured by guns in 2018 in the U.S., and more than 1,800 child victims between 12 and 17.