Toddler, 2, accidentally shot and killed himself after finding his father's loaded gun

A toddler in North Carolinatragically died last month after he found his father's loaded handgun in his pickup truck and accidentally shot himself in the head. Police found two-year-old Warren Bennett Oser suffering from a gunshot wound to his head after they responded reports of a shooting at a house in Benson just before 6pm

A toddler in North Carolina tragically died last month after he found his father's loaded handgun in his pickup truck and accidentally shot himself in the head. 

Police found two-year-old Warren Bennett Oser suffering from a gunshot wound to his head after they responded reports of a shooting at a house in Benson just before 6pm on October 15.

Prosecutors say the young boy had climbed into his dad's pickup truck through an open door, where he found the loaded Smith & Wesson .40-caliber handgun in the front seat. 

He then started to play with the weapon, and accidentally shot himself in the head. 

Both of the boys parents were home at the time, prosecutors say, and he was promptly rushed to Johnson Medical Center Clayton, where he was pronounced dead.

The boy's father, Tyler Oser, will now be charged with failure to properly and safely secure his firearms to protect minors, the Johnston County District Attorney's Office announced on Monday.

Warren Bennett Oser, 2, died from a gunshot wound to his head after he accidentally shot himself on October 15

Warren Bennett Oser, 2, died from a gunshot wound to his head after he accidentally shot himself on October 15

Family described Warren — whom they called Bennett — as a 'free spirit with a wild soul who always kept us on our toes'

Family described Warren — whom they called Bennett — as a 'free spirit with a wild soul who always kept us on our toes'

The boy's father, Tyler Oser, will now be charged with failure to properly and safely secure his firearms to protect minors. They are pictured here with the boy's mother, Emily

The boy's father, Tyler Oser, will now be charged with failure to properly and safely secure his firearms to protect minors. They are pictured here with the boy's mother, Emily

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'My heart goes out to the parents as they grieve the loss of their son,' District Attorney Susan Doyle said in a statement.

She added, though: 'These tragedies are 100 percent preventable by safely storing all weapons away from minor children, as required by statute.

'This is not about the rightful ownership of guns,' Doyle noted. 'This is about the responsibility of gun owners to protect minors by ensuing weapons are kept safely away from children.'

Following the shooting, family members gathered at the Oser's Benson home to support the parents, Emily and Tyler.

'We're having to raise money for a funeral we never expected, for a 2-year-old,' one family member told WRAL News. 

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe set up to support the parents has raised over $22,000 for the grieving family.

Prosecutors say the young boy climbed into the pickup truck through an open door, and found the .40-caliber handgun in the front seat

Prosecutors say the young boy climbed into the pickup truck through an open door, and found the .40-caliber handgun in the front seat

The toddler was only 2 years old when he fatally shot himself. In an obituary, his family writes: 'Though his life was brief, his spirit and memory lives on in his family and friends'

The toddler was only 2 years old when he fatally shot himself. In an obituary, his family writes: 'Though his life was brief, his spirit and memory lives on in his family and friends'

In an obituary posted online, the toddler's family remembered Warren  — whom they called Bennett — for all of his favorite things like 'help Dada work.'

It described the toddler as a 'free spirit with a wild soul who always kept us on our toes.

'Bennett was a happy child who loved everyone in his life deeply,' it said. 'Every single day, he would go down his list of favorite people to try and visit.'

'Though his life was brief, his spirit and memory lives on in his family and friends.' 

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