A four-year-old boy in Kissimmee, Florida, shot and killed his two-year-old cousin, after finding a loaded handgun that had been left unsecured inside a parked vehicle. As reported by TMZ, the family was visiting from Georgia and had just arrived at a rental home when the shooting occurred.
The two-year-old, identified as Brayden Tennyson, was rushed to a local hospital following the shooting and was pronounced dead shortly after arriving. His death came just days before he would have turned three years old.
Osceola County Sheriff Chris Blackmon said the two children had been left alone inside the parked car at the rental home when the incident occurred. According to Blackmon, the handgun was “literally in the open” inside the vehicle, and the adults in the group, who were standing just outside the car, did not realize the four-year-old had found the weapon until they heard the gunshot.
The investigation into the shooting is still active
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting remains ongoing. Sheriff Blackmon said criminal charges are expected to be filed against the family once the investigation concludes, though no charges had been filed as of this report.
The family involved in the shooting was staying at a rental house in Kissimmee during their vacation. Incidents involving children left alone in vehicles have drawn public attention in recent months, though the specific circumstances of each case differ.
Local authorities are continuing to examine how the firearm came to be in a position accessible to the child. Investigators have not yet said whether any additional safety measures were present in the vehicle at the time.
Cases involving child neglect resulting in death have prompted broader legislative discussion in several states this year. As the investigation into the Kissimmee shooting progresses, the focus remains on the sequence of events that preceded the gunshot, which family members said they heard from just outside the vehicle.
Published: Jul 15, 2026 09:00 pm