BRUNSWICK, Fla. — Action News Jax has learned the name of the victim who was accidentally shot and killed in Brunswick over the weekend, according to police.
The Glynn County Coroner confirmed with Action News Jax that the victim was 14-year-old Dazariah Easton.
The Brunswick Police Department said it responded to Altama Avenue Saturday night regarding a person shot inside of a home. Neighbors we spoke with said it happened near Stonewall Street.
Investigators said 17-year-old Daquarius Wallace “was mishandling a firearm when the victim was shot.” Wallace was arrested along with 21-year-old Bobby Sullivan in connection to Easton’s death. Wallace is charged with second-degree murder and cruelty to children, among other counts. Sullivan faces cruelty to children and other related charges.
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According to research by Everytown for Gun Safety, so far this year, there have been at least 154 unintentional shootings by children nationwide, resulting in 62 deaths and 95 injuries.
They also note that Georgia leads the country with 12 unintentional shootings by children this year. Florida currently ranks 2nd with 11.
“Firearm deaths are the leading cause of death among our children and teens in this country,” said Jennifer Massey with Moms Demand Action.
Massey is the chapter lead with Moms Demand Action Florida, a grassroots movement of Americans advocating for gun safety measures. She says accidental or unintentional shooting deaths are preventable.
“They’re preventable because there are preventable ways to keep our children safe, and that is through securing firearms, through secure storage of using gun locks, using gun box, gun safes, and things like that,” said Massey.
RELATED: Gun safety back in focus after another child is accidentally shot in Jacksonville
We are working on getting the mug shots and arrest reports for both suspects. We tried reaching out to Easton’s family, but we have yet to hear back.
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