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12-year-old Chula Vista boy fatally shoots self by accident after friend brings gun to sleepover

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A 12-year-old boy accidentally fatally shot himself after a friend brought a gun to a sleepover at his home in Chula Vista, officials said Tuesday.

The child was found wounded outside the Woodland Hills condo complex at 530 Telegraph Canyon Road after the shooting was reported at about 9:10 a.m. Saturday, Chula Vista police said in a news release.


He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. His identity is being withheld due to his status as a minor.

Investigators say a 15-year-old boy who was spending the night at the victim’s home had brought a handgun with him.

The 12-year-old got ahold of it at some point and accidentally shot himself inside the home. His family then moved him outside by the sidewalk, where officers found him, authorities said.

Detectives are questioning the 15-year-old who brought the firearm, and looking into how he obtained the gun. That boy’s identity is also being withheld.

No arrests had been made as of Tuesday.

Police are continuing to investigate, and no further details were available.