A mum was fatally shot in the chest by her five-year-old son, who had a handgun, police have said.
Michele Cox, 38, died in her family home in Arizona, United States, on Friday.
According to reports from the New York Post, the mother of four was airlifted to the hospital after suffering a single gunshot wound to her chest.
She later died as a result of her injuries.
Casa Grande Police have released a statement in relation to the horror incident, which they believed was an “accidental shooting”.
Michele’s four children, aged between four and 12 years, and her 40-year-old boyfriend were all home at the time.
None of them were injured during the incident, authorities said.
“Upon their arrival, Officers discovered 38-year-old Casa Grande resident Michele Cox suffering from what appeared to be a single gunshot wound to the chest,” the statement read.
“Ms. Cox was flown to a Chandler area hospital with life-threatening injuries.”
The statement went on to say that Michele had succumbed to her injuries at the hospital. Her next of kin had been notified of her death.
A page set up for Michele on American site gunmemorial.org hosted two pictures of the mum and a tribute left by a former colleague.
It said: “Such a humorous person we worked together years ago so very sad.”
Police currently believed Michele died as the result of an “accidental shooting”.
“Although this is an ongoing investigation, detectives have determined the victim’s five-year-old son was responsible for the shooting,” police said.
“This is a stark reminder that owning and safeguarding a firearm is a serious responsibility and should be a priority in anyone’s home or business, especially if children are present.”
A handgun was located at the house.