A 5-year-old shot and killed an 8-year-old in Arkansas, authorities said.
According to the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, deputies were dispatched to a home in Jefferson County after getting a report about a shooting involving a toddler.
When they arrived, they said the boy was unresponsive.
Jefferson County Sheriff Lafayette Woods, Jr. called the incident tragic, adding it could have been avoided.
"I can't emphasize strongly enough that guns need to be well secured and kept out of the hands and away from children at all times," he said. "Gun owners that do not properly secure their firearms are just one split second away from one of these tragedies happening in their home."
The children were siblings, authorities said.
The state is assessing the welfare of the children in the home as well as other conditions.
According to Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit that advocates for gun control laws, there have been 126 unintentional shootings by children this year in the U.S. The organization says those shootings have resulted in 55 deaths and 78 injuries.
