Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office investigating accidental gun discharge that killed child

On Friday, April 10, 2026, at 10:26 a.m., the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received a 911 call from a citizen who was out for a walk in a subdivision off of Rogersville Road, west of Fond du Lac, reporting a young child had sustained a gunshot injury at a nearby residence.

Deputies from the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene, along with the North Fond du Lac Ambulance and Lamartine First Responders. Due to the severity of injuries, ThedaStar medical helicopter was also requested to respond to the scene.

Both a sheriff’s deputy and a first responder arrived on scene within minutes and together they immediately began lifesaving efforts, however the child succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Sheriff’s investigators are conducting a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances leading up to this tragic incident. Preliminary information indicates three young children were placed in a vehicle in the driveway of their home, and in the brief time their parent returned back into the home to grab an item they forgot, a four-year-old in the vehicle located a loaded firearm in the center console.

That firearm discharged, striking a two-year-old sibling victim. No one else was injured. The incident was isolated to the driveway of the residence and foul play is not suspected.

The incident remains under active investigation by the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office working in conjunction with the Medical Examiner’s Office.

The family involved is cooperating with investigators, and any criminal charges that may be forthcoming will be determined at a later time upon the conclusion
of the investigation.

Also assisting at the scene was a Sheriff’s Office chaplain and crisis social worker.

The sheriff’s office urged residents to safely store firearms out of the reach of children at all times, and is asking that the community respect the family’s privacy as they navigate a path forward following this tragedy.

No additional details will be released at this time