San Bernardino County Sheriff's investigators say that the gun was in the hands of the boy's older brother when the tragedy unfolded.
The boys' mother had just gotten to the shopping center and was outside of the truck unloading some items she was going to take inside the store when the shooting happened, officials say.
"The 2-year-old was sitting in the cab of the truck along with his 7-year-old brother," said Gloria Huerta with the sheriff's department. "The 7-year-old brother found a firearm in the glovebox and as a result of that find the fatal shooting occurred."
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The incident happened around 4 p.m. Monday in the parking lot of a Floor and Decor store.
The department said the boy was transported to a hospital and pronounced dead there.
It's a tragedy that, sadly, is all-too common. In 2024 alone, there have been 234 unintentional shootings by children, leading to 89 deaths and 151 injuries nationwide, according to Everytown for Gun Safety.
More often than not, the victims are not strangers, but siblings, cousins or close friends.
"We have a lot more work still to do to get the message out that every gun, in every car, in every room, in every home needs to securely stored," said Sarah Burd-Sharps, senior director of research at Everytown for Gun Safety
The nonprofit gun safety advocacy group says a majority of these incidents involve handguns. They are small, accessible and often overlooked. While California has strong gun storage laws that have helped reduce unintentional shootings, there is still more work to be done.
"Most of these tragedies are absolutely preventable."
Sheriff's detectives are still investigating and will forward their findings to the District Attorney's Office to determine if charges will be filed against the parents.