4-year-old boy dies after accidentally shooting himself in head: ‘Heartbreaking tragedy’
An undated photo of 4-year-old Chosen Morris who died after accidentally shooting himself in Davenport, Florida. Davenport Police Department
(DAVENPORT, Fla.) — A 4-year-old boy named Chosen Morris has died after accidentally shooting himself in the head with a handgun he found in his parents’ car, according to authorities in Florida.
The “tragic accident” unfolded Friday evening as the Morris family prepared to go out for pizza, the Davenport Police Department said.
Chosen’s dad, Robert Morris, was in the bathroom getting ready and his mom, Quinta Morris, was on the computer in her bedroom, police said.
Quinta Morris said she heard a “pop” and assumed her children broke something, according to police. She went to the living room to talk to them, but only her 7-year-old and 11-year-old were there, police said.
Quinta Morris started looking for Chosen and noticed the door to the garage was open, police said. In the garage, she found Chosen in the driver’s seat of the car with a gunshot wound to his head, police said.
Chosen’s parents rushed him to the hospital where he died on Saturday afternoon, police said.
Authorities believe Chosen was excited about the outing and went to the car to wait for his family, and then found the handgun under the driver’s seat, police said. Robert Morris owns the Smith & Wesson M&P .40 caliber gun, police said.
“This is a tragic accident,” Davenport Police Chief Steve Parker said in a statement. “As a father and grandfather, I can’t imagine what Mr. and Mrs. Morris are going through right now. Our prayers are certainly with the Morris family as they endure this heartbreaking tragedy.”
“It is important that gun owners know where their firearms are at all times, and when not in possession of their firearm, ensure it is properly secured with some type of lock, whether it is a trigger lock or stored in a locked cabinet or box,” Parker told ABC News via email.
There were at least 411 unintentional shootings by children in 2023, marking the worst year on record since Everytown’s tracking started in 2015. There were at least 360 unintentional shootings by children last year, causing 136 fatalities, according to Everytown.
There have been at least 21 unintentional shootings so far this year, resulting in 11 deaths, Everytown said.
Emergency vehicles and rescue crews gather along the Potomac River near Reagan National Airport after an air crash near Washington, DC, on January 29, 2025. A regional jet from Kansas crashed into Washington’s Potomac River after colliding mid-air with a military helicopter near Reagan National Airport, officials said Wednesday, prompting a major emergency response and grounding all flights. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — A regional American Airlines passenger jet and a Black Hawk military helicopter collided over Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night in the nation’s first major commercial airline crash since 2009.
There are confirmed fatalities from the collision, law enforcement sources familiar with the ongoing operation told ABC News. Several bodies have been pulled from the Potomac River, and so far, no survivors have been rescued, sources said.
There were 60 passengers and four crew members aboard the jet, which can hold up to 70 passengers. It departed from Wichita, Kansas, according to the FAA.
“I know that flight. I’ve flown it many times myself,” Jerry Moran, a senator from Kansas, said at a press briefing on Thursday morning.
“I lobbied American Airlines to begin having a direct, nonstop flight service to DCA,” he said of the route, which has been operating for about one year.
“It is certainly true that in Kansas and in Wichita in particular, we’re going to know people who are on this flight, know their family members, know somebody. So this is a very personal circumstance, as well as an official response,” Moran added.
Three Army soldiers were aboard the Black Hawk helicopter at the time of the crash. Army officials confirmed that no senior military leaders were onboard.
The Black Hawk helicopter was on a training flight at the time, according to Heather Chairez, spokesperson for Joint Task Force-National Capital Region.
It was based at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, according to an Army official. “We are working with local officials and will provide additional information once it becomes available,” the official said.
The collision involved American Airlines Flight 5342, the airline said. The flight was operated by PSA Airlines.
“Our concern is for the passengers and crew on board the aircraft,” the airline said. “We are in contact with authorities and assisting with emergency response efforts.”
The Federal Aviation Administration said preliminary information indicates that a PSA Airlines Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet collided in midair with a Sikorsky H-60 helicopter while on approach to the airport.
A multi-agency search-and-rescue operation is underway, authorities said. About 300 responders were on the scene as of late Wednesday night, according to D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly.
The operation will continue overnight as divers and boats are searching the dark, frigid waters of the Potomac River.
Officials have not provided an update on whether anyone had been pulled from the water or taken to the hospital but three emergency care providers in the Washington, D.C. region have confirmed with ABC News that they have not yet received any patients from the crash.
“At this time, we have not received any patients,” VHC Health, formerly the Virginia Hospital Center, said in a statement at midnight on Wednesday. “The crash at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a sad and shocking tragedy and our thoughts are with all those impacted by this incident. We are working directly with the Arlington and Metropolitan Police Department, Fire, and EMS teams and all authorities,” VHC Health said, adding, “VHC Health is prepared to assist and support first responders as these agencies continue their emergency response.”
The water temperature in the Potomac River is approximately 36 degrees, and the air temperature at the time of the crash was 50 degrees with winds gusting 25 to 30 mph.
This is the first major commercial airplane crash in the United States since the Colgan Air crash near Buffalo, New York, in 2009.
President Donald Trump released a statement following the crash Wednesday night.
“I have been fully briefed on the terrible accident which just took place at Reagan National Airport. May God Bless their souls. Thank you for the incredible work being done by our first responders. I am monitoring the situation and will provide more details as they arise,” he wrote.
The president followed up with a post on Truth Social that seemed to be probing for further answers regarding the cause of the crash.
“Why didn’t the control tower tell the helicopter what to do instead of asking if they saw the plane,” he wrote in the post, adding, “This is a bad situation that looks like it should have been prevented. NOT GOOD!!!”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Army and Defense Department would “immediately” launch an investigation into the collision.
“Absolutely tragic. Search and rescue efforts still ongoing. Prayers for all impacted souls, and their families. Investigation launched immediately by Army & DoD,” Hegseth wrote on X.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said “extensive resources are fully supporting the search and rescue efforts” following the crash.
“First responders from across Northern Virginia, DC and Maryland mobilized quickly,” he said on X. “I ask everyone to pray for the passengers, crews, their families, and brave first responders.”
Wichita Mayor Lily Wu discussed the reality of people from her community being on the flight — noting that the first direct flight from Wichita to the nation’s capital, which began daily service on Jan. 8, 2024, coincided with her first day in office.
“Our entire community right now is praying, hoping for better news,” Wu told ABC News. “But as a community, the entire city of Wichita, the city council members and the staff all throughout the city of Wichita are hoping that we have better news to come out of this.”
Meanwhile, in somber remarks at a news conference early Thursday morning, Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall suggested he feared the passengers and crew aboard a regional American Airlines jet and a Black Hawk helicopter that collided were lost.
“When one person dies, it’s a tragedy,” Marshall said. “But when many, many, many people die, it’s an unbearable sorrow … It’s really hard when you lose, you know, probably over 60 Kansans, simultaneously.”
Speaking of the pilots, flight attendants and military personnel, Marshall added, “All those lives are so valuable, and it is such a tragedy that we lost them.”
Officials have not publicly confirmed any fatalities.
However, U.S. Figure Skating issued a statement saying that “several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342,” according to the statement obtained by ABC News.
“U.S. Figure Skating can confirm that several members of our skating community were sadly aboard American Airlines Flight 5342, which collided with a helicopter yesterday evening in Washington, D.C. These athletes, coaches, and family members were returning home from the National Development Camp held in conjunction with the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas,” the statement said. “We are devastated by this unspeakable tragedy and hold the victims’ families closely in our hearts. We will continue to monitor the situation and will release more information as it becomes available.”
Russian media also reported that two Russian figure skaters were on board the plane and expressed condolences to the families and friends of those killed in the plane crash.
“Unfortunately, we see that these sad information is being confirmed,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday morning. “There were other of our fellow citizens there. Bad news from Washington today.”
Earlier, several Russian state media outlets were reporting that Russian world figure skating champions in pairs (1994) Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov were on board the plane, though U.S. authorities have not confirmed these reports.
At least 19 aircraft that were in the air and due to land at Reagan National Airport had to be diverted after the mid-air collision, according to Jack Potter, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. The diverted flights landed at Dulles International Airport in Virginia.
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation and the FBI Washington Field Office said in a statement that it’s sending its National Capital Response Squad “in support of our law enforcement and public safety partners.”
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport will be closed until 11 a.m. Thursday, officials confirmed first thing in the morning, rather than the original estimated reopening time of 5 a.m. Friday,
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(EAST PALESTINE, OHIO) — Norfolk Southern and East Palestine reached a settlement over the February 2023 derailment that sent toxic chemicals into the area’s air, soil and creeks, the village said.
“The settlement provides the Village with $22 million from Norfolk Southern to be used for priorities identified by the Village in connection with the train derailment,” the village said in a statement.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
(NEW YORK) — The number of measles cases associated with an outbreak in western Texas has grown to 400, with 73 cases reported over the last three days, according to new data released Friday.
Almost all of the cases are in unvaccinated individuals or in individuals whose vaccination status is unknown, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). At least 41 people have been hospitalized so far.
Children and teenagers between ages 5 and 17 make up the majority of cases at 164, followed by children ages 4 and under comprising 131 cases, according to the data.
It comes as the CDC has so far confirmed 483 measles cases this year in at least 19 states: Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont and Washington
This is likely an undercount due to delays in states reporting cases to the federal health agency.
Meanwhile, reports have emerged that some unvaccinated children hospitalized with measles in Texas are showing signs of vitamin A toxicity.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other vaccine skeptics have promoted vitamin A amid the measles outbreak. During an interview on Fox News with Sean Hannity earlier this month, Kennedy said that HHS was currently providing vitamin A to measles patients for treatment, claiming vitamin A can “dramatically” reduce measles deaths.
Vitamin A can be used as part of supportive treatment for those who are already sick, with the World Health Organization recommending two doses of vitamin A in children and adults with measles to restore low vitamin A levels, which can help prevent eye damage and blindness.
However, vitamin A does not prevent measles infections, experts previously told ABC News, nor does it directly fight the virus when used as a treatment.
Covenant Children’s Hospital, which has treated dozens of measles patients in Texas amid the outbreak, told ABC News in a statement that some parents appear to have given their unvaccinated children vitamin A for “treatment and prevention.” Some of those children now show signs of vitamin A toxicity.
Fewer than 10 children have come in with abnormal liver function in routine lab tests, indicating possible vitamin A toxicity, according to Covenant Children’s.
Vitamin A toxicity occurs when someone consumes too much vitamin A, and can result in severe complications iincluding liver and kidney damage.
The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles.
The CDC currently recommends that people receive two vaccine doses, the first at ages 12 to 15 months and the second between 4 and 6 years old. One dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective, the CDC says. Most vaccinated adults don’t need a booster.
State health data shows that Gaines County, which is the epicenter of the Texas outbreak, has seen its number of vaccine exemptions grow dramatically in the last dozen years.
In 2013, roughly 7.5% of kindergartners in the county had parents or guardians who filed for an exemption for at least one vaccine. Ten years later, that number rose to more than 17.5% — one of the highest in all of Texas, according to state health data.
Among the nationally confirmed cases by the CDC, about 95%, are in people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unknown, the agency said.
Of those cases, 3% are among those who received just one dose of the MMR inoculation and 2% are among those who received the required two doses, according to the CDC.
ABC News’ Will McDuffie contributed to this report.
