A devastating incident unfolded last week as a pregnant woman and her unborn child lost their lives after a shocking accident involving a handgun. The local police reported that Laura Ilg, a 31-year-old expecting mother, was fatally shot in the back by her two-year-old son, who had unintentionally discharged a loaded firearm left unattended in their residence.According to Police Chief David Smith, the heartbreaking turn of events occurred on June 16 when Ilg urgently dialed 911. “She explained she was 33 weeks pregnant, and her two-year-old had accidentally just shot her in the back with a firearm,” Smith revealed during an interview with local ABC affiliate News 5 Cleveland. Promptly responding to the distress call, the police arrived at the scene in Norwalk, Ohio, and swiftly transported Ilg to the hospital. Despite immediate medical intervention, tragically, the unborn baby could not be saved following an emergency cesarean section. Hours later, Ilg succumbed to her injuries, Chief Smith added.Offering condolences to the grieving family, friends, and all those affected by the untimely demise of the young mother and her unborn son, the Norwalk Police Department expressed heartfelt sympathy in a statement posted on their official Facebook page over the weekend.In the aftermath of the incident, it was revealed that Ilg was conscious when law enforcement arrived and provided details indicating that her toddler had somehow gained access to the usually secured bedroom while she was occupied with household chores. It was during this time that the child inadvertently began playing with the loaded firearm, as described by Chief Smith. Authorities discovered a Sig Sauer Micro 9mm handgun on a nightstand, alongside two other loaded firearms in the house. Media reports indicate that Ilg’s husband, who was absent from the premises at the time of the tragedy, claimed ownership of the weapons.Regrettably, this accidental shooting adds to the distressing list of similar incidents that have occurred across the United States. In a country with a population of approximately 330 million people and an estimated 400 million firearms in circulation, such accidents have become an all too familiar occurrence.Just a few months earlier, in March, a heart-wrenching event unfolded near Houston, Texas, where a three-year-old girl accidentally took the life of her four-year-old sister with a handgun, despite the presence of five adults, including their parents, in the home.Statistics from the Pew Research Center indicate that around 40 percent of households in the United States possess firearms, with a significant number of these households also including children. Alarming findings from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Public Health reveal that less than half of these gun-owning households implement proper safety measures for storage.Police Chief Smith acknowledged that safety precautions had been in place at the Ilg residence but stressed the importance of responsible firearm ownership. “Trigger locks, gun safes, there are a million varieties, they’re not that expensive. At the very least, leave them (guns) unloaded,” he emphasized during the News 5 interview.The devastating loss of Laura Ilg and her unborn child serves as a tragic reminder of the critical need for gun owners to prioritize the secure storage and handling of firearms, ensuring the safety of their loved ones and preventing such heartrending accidents from occurring in the future.