2-year-old accidentally shoots himself in the face

Zaire Cameron was a smiley 2-year-old. His heartbroken family says he was a beautiful little boy.

But little Zaire died tragically. This afternoon he got a hold of his parents’ gun and shot himself in the face.

It happened near Fourth and Keefe Avenue. His father tells says he and the boy’s mother bought the guns for protection.

According to a medical examiner’s report, the mother would take the gun out when Zaire’s father left the house. Saturday, the gun was in a dresser drawer.

The mother caught Zaire touching the 38-caliber handgun and punished him.

The report says she then put the gun back in the same drawer.

This afternoon, Zaire and two other children were watching a movie in the bedroom. His parents were in another room when they heard the gunshot.

Zaire’s father was too upset to speak on camera. But he told says he wants other parents with guns in the house to be warned. He doesn’t want anyone else to experience his sadness.