Hard Lesson Learned in Accidental Shooting Death

Four Kansas children have died in accidental shootings since January 2014, including the 3-year-old son of a sheriff’s deputy who was less than a year into his law enforcement career when tragedy struck.

Data compiled by The Associated Press and the USA TODAY Network over a 2 1/2-year span show three of the Kansas deaths involved children 3 years old or younger. Twelve other people were wounded by accidental shootings involving minors during that time.

Reno County deputy Andrew Nagel says he had secured his firearms away from his son when the child visited two weeks before Christmas last year, but his roommate, who wasn’t used to having children around, had not.

Sheriff Randy Henderson says Kaden Nagel’s death prompted his department to revive a gun safety program for children.