7-year-old South Florida boy dies days after being shot in the head
(Courtesy: WSVN)
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Police are investigating the death of a 7-year-old boy who was shot at his Fort Lauderdale home last week.
Brayson Plummer was shot Thursday morning and died over the July 4th holiday weekend, Fort Lauderdale police told WSVN.
Two other children, ages 11 and 5, were in the room when the gun went off, according to police spokeswoman Casey Liening. She said no adults were in the room when the child was shot, and investigators are trying to determine whether the boy pulled the trigger or if one of the other children did.
Police haven't said who owns the gun, or whether charges are expected.
In a 911 call released Monday, a woman called begged for help after the shooting.
“My nephew got shot in the head,” she cried. “Oh, I can’t breathe.”
The dispatcher told the woman she needed her to be calm and tell her who shot the child. She told the dispatcher she was sleeping and the boy was with other children when the shooting happened.
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The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported police have been called to the boy's home 82 times since January 2019, according to records. Most calls were noise complaints, though some were for reports of possible child and elderly abuse; drugs; an overdose; injuries; domestic disputes and fights; a stolen car; stalking and harassment. Three times — March 26, May 7 and July 2 — police visited the home because of reports of guns going off.
Neighbors told the newspaper that they had encouraged child welfare workers to investigate the home because they worried something tragic would happen to the child, adding they often saw him outside late at night.