Hampton Mayor Responds to 1-Year-Old's Shooting

HAMPTON, Va. — A day after a 1-year-old was accidentally shot by another child, Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck said more needs to be done to prevent further harm.

“Lives are at stake,” Tuck said. “There's the victim and the family that he or she is a part of. Then there's also the perpetrator and the family that he or she is a part of, and so you have two families that are hurt.”

Hampton police called Tuesday's incident on Clyde Street “isolated” and “accidental.”

Mayor Tuck says reducing gun-related incidents with children is a priority for the city. A few years ago, he formed a coalition with other mayors in the region to combat this problem.

“Our concern has been focused since about 2013 on gun-related incidents among minors. Other than two cases earlier this year, one in January and another in February, we only had one yesterday “, explained the mayor.

He promised that resources would be made available to those affected by the situation.

“We have a victim witness assistance program. We have a reset program that goes out to the community and tries to make them feel comfortable again,” Tuck said.

Tuck believes adults need to do more to better protect their children and prevent such situations.

“I think parents need to understand that when you leave a gun lying around, a child may pick it up, think it's a toy, or even just shoot without knowing what the results would be,” he said.