4-Year-Old Accidentally Shoots Himself At Babysitter's Home

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 4-year-old boy found a handgun at his babysitter's house in Northwest Indiana and accidentally shot and killed himself Saturday morning.

The Lake County Sheriff says Eric Cole found the gun in a case under the bed in an upstairs room of the house, located on East 120th Ave. in Crown Point, Indiana.

Investigators say the gun fired a single round.

"The family is in tremendous shock right now," said Timothy Kuiper, a friend of the Cole family. "They're just trying to cope with the loss of a loved one. Eric was 4-years-old and and he would have celebrated his 5th birthday in 15 days. It's just an absolute tragedy what happened."

Authorities do not expect charges to be filed, as they say it was an accidental shooting. However, the investigation is ongoing.

A GoFundMe page has been set up in memory of Cole with a $10,000 goal.