Two-year old Neegnco Xiong died Wednesday after his four-year old brother accidently shot him. The boy was playing with a gun that he apparently found in between a headboard and a mattress of a bed.
MINNEAPOLIS - Minneapolis police say a toddler is dead after apparently being shot by his brother in the city's Riverside neighborhood.
Squads responded to reports of a shooting at 1907 7th Street South around 12:45 p.m. When they arrived they found the toddler, identified as 2-year-old Neegnco Xiong, with a critical gunshot wound. He was loaded into an ambulance but died on the scene.
Police spokesman William Palmer confirmed the department is investigating the shooting as a "tragic accident." Palmer said Neegnco was apparently shot by his 4-year-old brother who was playing with a gun. A family member tells KARE 11 the gun belonged to the the child's father and was kept high in a closet.
Police confirm that three children, ages 4, 2 and 1 were in the home at the time of the shooting. The parents of the children were also home. A 5-year-old boy was not at home at the time.
Witnesses describe seeing paramedics unsuccessfully perform CPR on Neegnco Xiong for more than five minutes before placing his body in the ambulance.
The victim's uncle tells KARE 11 that his nephew was smart, talkative and liked playing with other kids. Yash Xiong said he's urging other people to heed their story and safely store their unloaded guns.
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