Chosen Morris was a 4-year-old boy from Davenport, Florida, who died after an accidental shooting on February 21, 2025. The family was preparing to go out when Chosen went into the garage, climbed into the driver’s seat of the family vehicle and found a Smith & Wesson M&P .40-caliber handgun under the driver’s seat. The firearm discharged while he was handling it and he sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head.

At the time, his father, Robert Morris, was in the bathroom and his mother, Quinta Morris, was in the master bedroom working on a computer; she heard a pop and later found the garage door open and Chosen in the vehicle. The parents took him to AdventHealth Heart of Florida about two miles away, and he was pronounced dead nearly 24 hours later. Davenport Police Chief Steve Parker described the incident as a tragic accident, said investigators consulted the State Attorney’s Office, and announced no criminal charges would be filed against the parents. The chief also urged gun owners to secure firearms, use trigger locks and educate children about gun dangers.

What information might help explain how the handgun came to be unsecured and accessible to a small child?