Sheriff: Texas boy, 3, fatally shoots self at his birthday party

PORTER, Texas – A 3-year-old Houston-area boy was killed when he shot himself accidentally at his own birthday party, sheriff’s officials said.

The incident was reported shortly after 4 p.m. Saturday at a home in Porter, 25 miles (40 kilometers) northeast of Houston, according to a statement from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office.

The child’s family and friends told investigators that they were playing cards when they heard a gunshot and the boy was found with a chest wound, according to the statement. He was taken to a nearby fire station where he died.

Investigators said the child found a handgun that had fallen from a family member’s pocket.