NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — On Saturday night, 8-year-old Phillipe' Woodward accidentally shot and killed himself with a loaded shotgun he was playing with in his grandmother's house.
Police say Woodward was left alone with his 10-year-old brother and a 16-year-old family friend when it happened. The 16-year-old was asleep when the gunshot went off, and ran to a neighbor for help. Woodward was taken to Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, where he died.
Youth Services Detectives are investigating the shooting. Police say it is the third accidental child death from a firearm this year, and remind everyone that free gun locks are available at all Metro Police precincts and the Records Division public counter in Madison.
A lesson in never giving up: Jack's story will have you believing dreams really can come true. It's so uplifting to hear those around him talk about his determination and then to see it rewarded. Not many teens would email coaches every week just to hear a 'no,' but Jack did. And eventually, it all pays off.
-Rebecca Schleicher
