Cop's son, 3, fatally shoots self with dad's gun

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. - Authorities say the 3-year-old son of a suburban St. Louis police officer fatally shot himself accidentally in the chest with the law enforcer's personal gun.

Investigators say Daniel Metz died Tuesday at a Bridgeton hospital, shortly after the shooting in a bedroom in the family's Maryland Heights home.

Police Chief Thomas O'Connor says the boy's father is a three-year member of the police department who patrols the area near where he lives. The dad was among the first responders to the scene, where officers tried to revive the boy.

O'Connor calls the shooting "a terrible thing," and "a shock."

It's unclear how the boy got the gun.

O'Connor says counseling is being made available to the family and other officers who responded.