A three-year-old boy, King Penro, died after suffering a gunshot wound at a residence in the 3100 block of West 79th Place in Merrillville, Indiana, on the evening of December 4, 2023. Emergency responders arrived about 5:45 p.m.; King was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead there. Neighbors reported hearing a single gunshot.

Initial accounts suggested the wound may have been self-inflicted, but authorities have not confirmed that detail. The Merrillville Police Department describes the shooting as accidental and says the family has cooperated with the investigation. No arrests have been made, and the case was referred to the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office to consider charges.

If anyone has information about what happened that evening or was in the West 79th Place area around 5:45 p.m. on December 4, 2023, please come forward.