Nashville father charged after 6-year-old fatally shoots himself with gun

Child found gun in father’s pocket after he fell asleep, police say

NASHVILLE, TN – A 6-year-old boy died after police say he shot himself with a handgun that was in his father’s pocket while the man slept inside a home on Qualynn Drive. The child, identified as Steven Lamont Ricks, was rushed to a hospital and later pronounced dead after being placed on life support.

Steven Lamont Phillips, 56, now faces a criminal homicide charge in connection with the shooting. He was initially charged with aggravated child neglect and unlawful gun possession, but those charges were upgraded following the child’s death, according to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.

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