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Police officer’s toddler shoots himself

The 3-year-old son of a Camp Lejeune, N.C., civilian law enforcement officer died Monday after shooting himself in the head with a gun he found in his home.

Tyler Robert Lewis was pronounced dead when he arrived at Onslow Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, said Onslow County Sheriff Ed Brown. He suffered a gunshot wound to his forehead.

Tyler found the weapon, a .40-caliber pistol, on a nightstand in the family’s house. The boy woke his mother, Kimberly Lewis, early Monday and told her he was going to play with his toys, Brown said. Sometime later, the mother heard a gunshot. Someone called 911 to report the shooting around 10 a.m.

Tyler’s father, Robert Lewis, was working on the base when the shooting occurred, Brown said. Lejeune officials are not releasing information about him. Brown said the Onslow County District Attorney’s Office will determine whether to file charges in the case.