HARDEMAN COUNTY, Tenn. — A man was charged in the shooting death of a seven-year-old boy Tuesday afternoon at a mobile home east of Grand Junction, Tennessee.
Jonterrious Hampton was charged with reckless homicide.
According to Sheriff John Doolen, Hampton was visiting the mobile home on Pearl Road and was attempting to disassemble a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol belonging to another person who was visiting the home.
Hampton admitted to failing to clear the chamber of the pistol. It discharged after he pulled the trigger, hitting the seven-year-old in the chest as he sat on a countertop.
The child was driven by personal vehicle to Bolivar and intercepted by emergency personnel who attempted life saving measures but were unsuccessful.
The child attended Grand Junction Elementary school, where counselors will be available for students when they return to class Thursday. Doolen did not identify him Wednesday.
“It’s just a tragedy that, you know, this family’s got to go through this now,” Doolen said. “Gun safety is a must.”
