Parents Home When NJ Boy, 4, Shot Himself: PD

SOUTH JERSEY – More details were released after a 4-year-old boy fatally shot himself this weekend, prosecutors said. The victim was identified and prosecutors said the parents were home when the tragedy occurred.

Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said Lincoln Mack, 4, of Browns Mills died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Lincoln’s parents and two siblings were inside the home at the time of the shooting.

The investigation revealed that the boy gained access to an unsecured handgun in the home. The evidence indicatedthe shooting was accidental and appeared to be self-inflicted, the BCPO said.

The investigation is ongoing and no charges had been filed as of press time.

Emergency medical technicians and officers from the Pemberton Township Police Department were called to the family’s home on Maricopa Trail just after 7 p.m. on Friday and discovered Lincoln with a gunshot wound to his cheek, according to the BCPO.

He was transported to Capital Health Emergency Department at Deborah Hospital where he was pronounced dead at approximately 8 p.m.

“Our hearts are with Lincoln’s family in the wake of this unspeakable tragedy,” Coffina said. “However, an accident like this is entirely preventable. I urge everyone who owns a gun to go – right now – and make sure it is secure and not accessible to any children in their home.”

The incident is being investigated by detectives from the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office and the Pemberton Township Police.