'Tragic accident': Greenville 8-year-old boy dies after accidentally shooting self with gun, police say

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- An 8-year-old North Carolina boy died Thursday morning after accidentally shooting himself with a gun he found in a family member's parked car.

Greenville officers were called to the 1100 block of Van Dyke Street in response to a shooting around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

Investigators learned that an 8-year-old was unattended in a family member's parked car when he found an unsecured firearm. While handling it, the gun discharged and struck the kid in the abdomen.

The child was rushed to Vidant Medical Center where he died from injuries around 5 a.m.

The Greenville Police Department will not be releasing the name of the child at this time.

No charges have been filed at this time and the case remains under investigation; however, authorities labeled the incident a "tragic accident."