14-year-old dies after playing with gun at basketball coach’s home, SC coroner says
A 14-year-old boy died after playing with a gun at an assistant basketball coach’s home in South Carolina, officials said.
The teenager held the pistol to his chest when it accidentally went off, causing him to collapse early Sunday, Feb. 12, according to the Cherokee County Coroner’s Office.
The teen — identified as Zakius Joshua Davis — died at the scene.
“This is nothing short of an absolute tragic event that has claimed this young person’s life,” Coroner Dennis Fowler wrote in a news release.
The shooting was reported just before 1 a.m. at an apartment building in Gaffney, roughly 50 miles northeast of Greenville. Officials said a 13-year-old teammate saw what happened.
“The friend said Davis had rambled and found the .380 handgun in a kitchen cabinet and began to play with it while singing,” Fowler wrote. “Davis reportedly pressed the gun against his chest when it” fired.
The coroner’s office said it planned to perform an autopsy. It also shared condolences after the teen’s death, which was ruled an accident.
“It should send a loud message to adults that our children must be protected from having access to weapons whether loaded or unloaded,” Fowler wrote.
This story was originally published February 13, 2023 at 10:10 AM with the headline "14-year-old dies after playing with gun at basketball coach’s home, SC coroner says."
