STRUTHERS, Ohio – A community is in mourning after a tragic and preventable shooting took the life of 3-year-old Gionni Jackson on August 22, 2025, when he accidentally shot himself with an unsecured firearm inside a home on the 400 block of Spring Street.
Authorities say the incident unfolded shortly after 1 p.m. when Gionni gained access to a firearm left on a dresser by his father. According to police, the child discharged the weapon, sustaining a life-threatening gunshot wound.
A woman in the home immediately offered to drive Gionni and another man to a nearby hospital. However, during the drive, Gionni stopped breathing, prompting the driver to pull into a plaza near Matthews Road and South Avenue to perform CPR while awaiting emergency responders. Despite their desperate efforts, Gionni was pronounced deceased upon arrival at the hospital.
The heartbreaking incident has left family, friends, and neighbors grappling with grief and disbelief. “He was just a happy, playful little boy,” a family friend shared. “It’s hard to comprehend how quickly he was taken from us.”
Boardman Police were called to the plaza, where Gionni’s father admitted to leaving his firearm unsecured on a dresser while he used the bathroom. The case remains under active investigation, with an autopsy conducted by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office. Authorities have not yet stated whether charges will be filed.
This tragedy underscores the ongoing issue of unsecured firearms in homes with children, a problem that advocates say is both entirely preventable and alarmingly common. According to national statistics, hundreds of children in the U.S. are injured or killed each year in accidental shootings, leading to renewed calls for stricter gun storage laws and public awareness campaigns.
Community members are expected to gather later this week to hold a candlelight vigil in Gionni’s memory, honoring a young life lost far too soon and calling for change to ensure that no other family endures such heartbreak.
Anyone with additional information regarding the incident is urged to contact Boardman Police Department as the investigation continues.
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