LAWTEY, Fla. – A 12-year-old boy rushed to a hospital Monday evening for treatment of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound has died, according to the Bradford County Sheriff's Office.
Undersheriff Brad Smith said deputies were sent to the scene on Northwest County Road 125 in Lawtey, a few miles west of U.S. 301. According to Smith, the boy was shot in the head.
The Sheriff's Office said the boy was taken to Orange Park Medical Center for treatment. Word came Tuesday afternoon he had died.
Bradford County Sheriff Gordon Smith told News4Jax the boy attended Bradford Middle School. He knows the child's family personally.
"I can't think of a better family in our community," Smith said. "We are asking (the public) to keep the family in their thoughts and prayers right now as they go through this difficult time."
"We don't know what he was struggling with, but this is your everyday kid you would want to be your son."
Investigators said the gun was in a secure place. It's unclear how the boy got hold of it.
Smith wants other children to know there is always help.
"We are just asking that if somebody is struggling, reach out and ask for help from somebody," Smith said. "There are people that care. I promise you, somebody loves you."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 157,000 people between the ages of 10 and 24 are treated in emergency departments across the U.S. for self-inflcted injuries. About 81% of the deaths are boys or young men.
If you or anyone you know is thinking about physically harming themself, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.