Georgia father charged after 3-year-old fatally shoots himself

A Georgia father has been arrested after his 3-year-old child died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the sheriff’s office.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Dante Vinson, who currently lives in Oglethorpe, Ga., faces one felony count of involuntary manslaughter and one misdemeanor count of reckless conduct, according to the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office.

The shooting happened in March 2026 at a home on Peters Road in Butler, authorities said. The child died after sustaining a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from TCSO’s investigators, investigated the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.

TRENDING STORIES:

• 26 state prisons on lockdown due to ‘increased security threat’
• Entire Georgia school district on lockdown, secured by law enforcement
• Warrants: Suspects picked date, had floor plans in plot to shoot up Georgia high school

Authorities said the charges stem from the circumstances surrounding the child’s access to a gun.

“This was an extremely tragic incident involving the loss of an innocent three-year-old child,” Taylor County Sheriff John Sawyer said in a statement. “No investigation or criminal charge can undo the loss of a young life.”

The sheriff urged gun owners to secure their guns and keep them out of children’s reach.

“A moment of carelessness can result in consequences that can never be reversed,” Sawyer said.

The sheriff’s office extended its condolences to the child’s family and loved ones.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]