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SAPD: 4-year-old identified after being killed in 'accidental' shooting

The 4-year-old victim and a 10-year-old boy somehow got their hands on a gun inside a home while others were outside at a barbecue.

SAN ANTONIO — A Memorial Day gathering turned tragic Monday afternoon when the accidental discharge of a firearm resulted in a 4-year-old boy being taken to a San Antonio hospital, according to San Antonio Police officials. 

The Medical Examiner confirmed Tuesday morning that Jaelen Corley, 4, has passed away. He had turned 4 just last month.

It happened on the 1400 block of Avant Avenue on the city's east side, SAPD Chief William McManus said. While there was a barbecue going on outside a home in the area, he said, a 4-year-old boy and 10-year-old boy somehow got their hands on an unspecific kind of firearm. 

It's unknown who was holding the gun at the time, but Corley ended up injured.

"Someone heard a pop, they ran and found the little boy had been shot in the stomach," McManus said. "It (the gun) may very well have been secured, but apparently not well enough."

It's unclear if anyone else was inside the resident at the time. 

Relatives began driving the boy to a hospital before he transferred to an ambulance somewhere en route. According to McManus, he was in critical condition shortly before 8 p.m. 

McManus said he's unsure as of now if someone will face charges after the incident.

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