NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — This month, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt will be getting more gun locks in the hands of families. This comes after an 8-year-old boy died after accidentally shooting himself in East Nashville over the weekend.
Metro Nashville Police were called to North 2nd Street on Saturday evening. MNPD said an 8 and 10-year-old found a shotgun in an attic, when the 8-year-old accidentally shot himself in the face. He was transported to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt where he died.
“It is absolutely heartbreaking but the most heartbreaking thing is this is the reality of what our children are going through,” said Dr. Kelsey Gastineau, assistant professor of pediatrics in the division of hospital medicine.
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Dr. Gastineau said at Monroe Carell Jr., they see a handful of patients a month with firearm injuries. "We see four to five here every month."
This year alone, over a dozen Tennessee children have died in accidental shootings. In 2023, Tennessee saw six deaths and 18 injuries according to Everytown for Gun Safety.
“We know about 2/3s of those injuries are due to assaults or homicides, we know about 1/3 or 30% are due to suicides and 5% are due to unintentional injuries,” Gastineau said.
MNPD said Saturday’s incident was the third accidental death of a child from a firearm this year.
“When it comes to unintentional injuries, we know 85 to 90% of these are occurring in the home,” Gastineau said.
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Dr. Gastineau said the hospital partnered with the Department of Safety and Homeland Security to pass out free gun locks. In the past two years. they have handed out up to 150. This month they are planning to expand across the hospital and hand out 300.
“I’m really excited that we are actually expanding the effort here this month so now parents have access to firearms and secure storage devices,” Gastineau said.
It’s just one solution as she continues to see these avoidable accidents on the frontlines.
"This is a complex public health crisis. That takes complex, interwoven, multi-pronged solutions,” Gastineau said.
Shwab Elementary shared a statement regarding the 8-year-old boy that tragically lost his life.
“We are heartbroken to announce the tragic loss of Phillipé Woodard, a bright and beloved 8-year-old 3rd grader at Shwab Elementary School, who was tragically killed due to gun violence. Phillipé was a shining scholar who touched the lives of many with his joyful spirit, kindness, and curiosity. He enjoyed drawing, painting, playing with his friends, learning, and had a deep love for creativity and discovery that made him stand out. Phillipé will be deeply missed by his friends, teachers, and all who knew him.” – Dr. Cheryl Bowman, Principal at Shwab Elementary
Third through fifth-grade students at Shwab received a letter on Monday with advice for parents on how to speak with their students about gun violence and loss. The MNPS Student Support Services team is providing grief counseling and support for students and staff who are processing this tragic loss of life.