Jaeden Kevon Livingston was a 14-year-old boy from Abilene who died after an accidental shooting. The incident occurred the evening of November 29, 2019, at a home in the 800 block of Sunset Drive. Jaeden was at a friend’s house with two other boys, aged 15 and 16, when they were passing around a gun that belonged to one friend’s parent. Jaeden put the gun to his head believing it was not loaded and pulled the trigger. He was taken to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth and died the following morning, November 30, 2019.

The Abilene Police Department investigated and ruled the shooting accidental. Police noted Texas law makes it illegal to allow children under 17 to gain access to a firearm; the owner of the gun could potentially face misdemeanor charges for providing access. Jaeden’s parents are named Anthony Livingston and Jennifer McGhee; his stepmother is Cherie Armstrong, who urged firearm owners to secure guns to prevent similar tragedies. Counselors were made available at Madison Middle School, where Jaeden was a student, and the community organized a GoFundMe to assist the family.

What information do readers have about safety practices or local programs that might help prevent tragedies like this?