Deaundre Shannon was eight years old when he died on August 20, 2017, in Memphis, Tennessee, from a gunshot wound. The shooting occurred after Deaundre and another child found a loaded handgun that had been placed on a bed by his father, Corderro Wilhite. The children’s handling of the firearm led to an accidental discharge that fatally wounded Deaundre.

Authorities arrested Wilhite in connection with his son’s death; the case centered on allegations that he failed to secure the handgun, leaving it accessible to children in the home. The incident underlines the risks unsecured firearms pose where children live and raised legal questions about gun owners’ responsibilities.

If anyone knew Deaundre, the household circumstances, or has information about how the weapon was stored, please come forward.