Police: 9-year-old boy dies after shooting in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A 9-year-old Indianapolis boy was killed when a gun he and his friend were playing with discharged, police said Tuesday.

Police said the boy, identified by the Marion County coroner's office as Mykah Jackson, and his friend found the unsecured gun Monday night at an apartment complex on the city's north side and were playing with it when it accidentally fired, striking the boy in the face.

A relative took the child to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Police Chief Bryan Roach called the youngster's death a preventable tragedy. He said gun owners should keep their guns secure and have "a healthy respect for that machine."

No arrests have been made. Roach says the gun's owner is a 27-year-old man and the shooting remains under investigation.

Police planned to distribute gun safety locks and discuss firearm safety tips Tuesday afternoon at the apartment complex where the shooting occurred.