A 3-year-old boy was fatally shot while sleeping in bed with his grandmother, Deonca Kennedy. New Orleans Police says the toddler was shot by a gun under the pillow.

NOLA.com is reporting that the shooting took place shortly after 2 a.m. The grandmother, a 45-year-old security guard, is believed to have been asleep when her semi-automatic gun located under the pillow discharged, striking the toddler in the chest.

Authorities say the boy was rushed to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

After police investigated the situation and questioned the grandmother, she was arrested and charged with negligent homicide, second-degree cruelty to a juvenile and child desertion.

Kennedy did not give a statement to police nor did she cooperate with investigators. She was the only person home at the time of the shooting.

Police did not say what caused the gun to fire.

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