Uncle leaves 3-year-old nephew to die after boy grabbed unsecured gun and accidentally shot himself to death: Cops

Insets, from left: Tyrone Thompson Jr. (Richland County Sheriff's Office) and Erin Amir Myers (Bostick Thompson Funeral Home). Background: The home in Columbia, S.C., where cops say Erin shot himself to death with Thompson's gun (WIS).

A 3-year-old from South Carolina grabbed his uncle's unsecured gun and shot himself — and instead of helping the boy, the uncle grabbed the weapon and ran away, cops say.

Tyrone Thompson Jr., 21, is facing a charge of possession of a weapon by a convicted felon in the death of young Erin Amir Myers.

Cops in Columbia told reporters the incident occurred Thursday evening at an apartment on Bailey Street. They found Erin suffering from a gunshot wound inside the home. Paramedics rushed the boy to the hospital, where he later died.

Erin found his uncle's gun and was playing with it when it went off, cops say. The gun was allegedly not properly secured, although police have yet to detail where the weapon was when the boy found it.

Thompson's actions in the aftermath of the shooting revealed he was thinking about himself instead of his nephew, according to Deputy Chief Melron Kelly.

"He did not render aid, he fled the scene, he did not call law enforcement," Kelly said. "He had to be tracked down and captured later by Richland County deputies."

Kelly noted that every police department in the area offers free gun locks to prevent tragedies like this one.

"This is just one incident where we see people not heeding the advisement of public safety," he said.

The family released a statement to local CBS affiliate WLTX.

"We are devastated by this loss, and our hearts ache for the life that was taken too soon," they said. "At the same time, we are deeply grateful for every memory, every smile, every moment of love and every beautiful part of Erin that will remain with us forever."

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The statement also addressed Thompson directly, saying the incident was a "heartbreaking mistake."

"To our son Tyrone: we want you to know that our family is not angry with you and we do not hate you," they said. "We love you we know that you are hurting and grieving too, and we are hurting alongside you."

Thompson is being held at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center on a $250,000 bond. His next court date is set for Nov. 20.