Illinois 6-year-old fatally shoots 11-year-old in the head

An 11-year-old boy died this week in Illinois after being shot in the head by a 6-year-old relative.

Belleville Police Department Detective Mark Heffernan told KSDK that EMS transported 11-year-old Leonard Smith to Belleville Memorial Hospital after 11 p.m. on Tuesday night after being called to the scene of the shooting on North 98th Street. Smith was later pronounced dead.

According to police, children were upstairs during a family gathering when the 6-year-old boy found a handgun that did not have a safety. Other children were reportedly present during the shooting.

Police said the two boys were thought to be related in some way, and the gun was being stored for another family member who did not live at that address.

"At this point in time we won’t be applying for charges on the 6-year-old," Heffernan told KTVI. "We believe that this is just a tragic circumstance that these kids located this firearm and it had a deadly result."

The St. Clair County State’s Attorney was expected to review the results of Wednesday's investigation before considering other possible charges.

Watch this video from KSDK, broadcast July 18, 2013.