The 3-year-old son of a Steamboat Springs police officer died Thursday morning in an accidental shooting after authorities say he shot himself.
The Routt County Sheriff’s Office said it was notified of the shooting about 8:30 a.m. Deputies and medical personnel responded and placed the boy in an ambulance for transport to Yampa Valley Medical Center.
At about 11 a.m., the child was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The sheriff’s office says it is working with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to investigate the shooting, which happened at an address about 25 miles south of Steamboat Springs. The case has been classified as a “death investigation.”
“This is a tragic loss,” Undersheriff Ray Birch said in a statement.
Further details were not released, including the owner of the gun the boy shot himself with.
The county coroner did not return a message seeking comment.
Steamboat Springs Police Chief Cory Christensen referred further questions on the case to the sheriff’s office.
“We are deeply saddened at the loss of one of our officer’s family members,” Christensen said. “We will continue to support the officer and his family through this difficult time.”
The names of the officer and the child have not been released.
The shooting was
