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3-year-old accidentally kills mom after finding ‘unsecured’ gun, SC deputies say

The mother was 33 years old at the time of her death, South Carolina officials said.
The mother was 33 years old at the time of her death, South Carolina officials said. The Wichita Eagle file

A South Carolina mom was accidentally shot and killed after her 3-year-old found an “unsecured” gun, officials said.

The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office was called to a shooting on Wednesday, Sept. 21. While at the scene on South Pine Street, officials reported finding a child, mom and grandmother.

The mom had been shot and was rushed to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. She was identified as 33-year-old Cora Lyn Bush of Spartanburg, according to information deputies shared in conjunction with the Spartanburg County Coroner’s Office.

“The grandmother was interviewed, and her account of the incident corroborated with both the evidence at the scene and the injury to the victim,” deputies wrote in a Facebook post. “Although our investigation remains active, all indications are this incident was a result of the young child gaining access to an unsecured firearm, which resulted in the mother being accidentally shot and later passing away at the hospital.”

The shooting was reported at about 7:45 a.m., and an autopsy was set for the following day.

“Please keep the family of Ms. Bush in your thoughts and prayers during this time of loss and grief,” officials wrote.

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This story was originally published September 22, 2022 at 7:53 AM with the headline "3-year-old accidentally kills mom after finding ‘unsecured’ gun, SC deputies say."

Simone Jasper
The News & Observer
Simone Jasper is a service journalism reporter at The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina.
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