Father speaks out after son is killed in accidental shooting

 

SOUTH BEND, Ind,. --- A heartbroken father spoke out to ABC57 after losing his young son following a tragic accident over the weekend.

Police confirmed five-year-old Kyler Jackson passed away early Wednesday morning after he was accidentally shot by his nine-year-old relative Saturday night at a home on Woodbine Way in South Bend.

His father devastated by the loss of his son.

“The man was a mathematical genius man. He was excited when he got accepted into Kennedy and all he wanted to was prove that he was smart. If you knew him everybody loved him. He was everybody’s baby. My baby, he was special,” said Derek Jackson, Kyler’s Father.

The heartbroken father teared up as he remembered his son Kyler Jackson who would have been attending Kennedy Academy next year.

“After working the morning, third shift in the morning rush home to drop him off in the morning to daycare. I miss that the most. We have our motivational speeches, son focus, focus. I’m going to miss that,” said Jackson.

The five-year-old’s life was cut short after he was shot by his nine-year-old relative Saturday night in South Bend.

Jackson said his son was at a relative’s house when he got the life-changing call at work.

“I don’t know what happened. I was at work so I’m not blaming, I was at work doing what I do. I rushed home. I don’t know just let the people do what they do, the professionals,” Jackson.  “We don’t have no guns. Dealing with kids and teaching kids and coaching you know, we don’t have guns in the house because that was one of my biggest fears.”

As Jackson grieves the death of his five-year-old son Kyler, he’s shared a message about guns in hopes no more parents will have to bury their young children because of tragedies like these.

“Take the precautionary steps to have the guns. You know if you want the guns, it’s okay just take the precautionary steps to have them. Be an adult, and I don’t know what happened in this situation. I’m just saying in general we all have to be adults for these kids,” said Jackson.

South Bend Police is investigating the incident and as of right now it’s still believed to be an accidental shooting.

They’re also still working to determine how the child got ahold of that loaded gun.

Click here to support the family’s GoFundMe.