4 year old shot to death

A 4-year-old boy is dead after accidentally shooting himself in eastern Missouri’s Union, on Thursday morning. 

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Department says the child’s father was sleeping in the living room and placed a loaded gun on the floor under the couch. 

Just before 6 a.m., the child got up and walked into the room to get a drink. The father left the room to use the bathroom and as he was returning to the room, he heard a gunshot. The child had fatally shot himself.  

This morning, a warrant was issued against Scott E. Hilton, Jr. for murder second degree-during perpetration of a felony in which a person dies, endangering the welfare of a child, and unlawful possession of a firearm. Bond has been set at $250,000 cash only.