Toddler dies from gunshot after finding loaded gun, Polk deputies say

LAKELAND, Fla. — A 2-year-old Lakeland boy died from a gunshot wound after his parents say he found a loaded handgun in their truck, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday.

Hathum R. Ayesh, 36, and Stephanie Sharell Nealy, 29, of Lakeland, took their 2-year-old son, Taj H. Ayesh, to the hospital after they said he found a loaded handgun in Hathum Ayesh's truck.

Nealy said their son followed her outside to the truck where she went to look for a pre-paid card. A loaded handgun was inside the truck and she moved it around to a different place inside the truck while she looked for the card.

Nealy told detectives she was facing away from the truck and heard a gunshot, then saw her son fall to the ground behind her.

The child was rushed into surgery at Lakeland Regional Medical Center but did not survive.

WFTV