St. Louis boy fatally shoots himself; investigation underway

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Authorities say a toddler fatally shot himself in the head in a St. Louis neighborhood. Police said the boy was taken to the hospital Monday afternoon before officers arrived. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that he was pronounced dead later that day. No additional details about the shooting were immediately released, but the parking lot of an auto parts store was taped off by police afterward. The police child abuse unit is handling the investigation. The boy is one of nearly 20 children killed by gunfire this year across the metropolitan area.