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Crime, Law and Justice
Estelle Timar-Wilcox

Court documents: 2-year-old fatally shot by 4-year-old brother in southwest Minnesota

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Court documents have offered more details on the fatal shooting of a 2-year-old boy by another young child in southwest Minnesota earlier this month.

State records indicate Matthew Alshaikhnasser died on Oct. 17 — two days after he was accidentally shot by his 4-year-old brother in Martin County, according to the sheriff’s office and court filings.

According to a search warrant application filed last week in Martin County District Court, the brothers’ 26-year-old mother and her 33-year-old boyfriend had briefly left the two kids alone in the back seat of a pickup truck on the morning of Oct. 15 while the adults went back inside the family home to retrieve a toy.

The boyfriend told law enforcement officers that a loaded gun and ammunition had been left in the front passenger side door of the truck — and that he believed the older boy crawled up to the front seat, took it, and returned to his seat while the adults were away.

As the family was driving near Welcome, Minn., the adults heard a gunshot from the backseat, and looked back to see that that the younger boy had a head wound. They called 911 and drove the car toward a hospital in Fairmont until they met deputies on the way.

Matthew was later airlifted to a hospital in Rochester.

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His mother told the Star Tribune that the family is mourning his death after what she called a “freak accident,” and said that her son’s organs were donated to help others.

A deputy executing the warrant to search the pickup truck reported finding several other firearms and ammunition in the vehicle. Authorities have not announced any arrests or charges in the case.

At least two other Minnesota children have died in accidental shootings this year.

On Aug. 5, a 12-year-old boy in St. Paul was fatally shot by a 14-year-old who found a loaded gun someone had left behind.

And three days later, a 3-year-old boy in Hinckley shot himself after finding a loaded pistol in his home.