Sandy Springs toddler fatally shot after accessing gun in fanny pack
Officers investigate a shooting at the Carlyle of Sandy Springs apartments along Sandalwood Drive on Feb. 18, 2026. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. - A Sandy Springs father is facing felony charges after investigators say he left a loaded handgun unsecured, leading to the shooting death of his 2-year-old son.
PREVIOUS: Toddler fatally shot after accessing gun in fanny pack
Richard Willis is charged with second-degree murder and second-degree cruelty to children in the death of River Willis.
What they're saying:
According to arrest warrants filed in the Magistrate Court of Fulton County, Willis and his wife returned home from a medical procedure and placed their son in his bedroom for a nap with a cellphone.
Investigators say Willis told detectives he removed his fanny pack, which contained a loaded 9mm pistol, and tossed it onto the master bedroom bed. The child later came downstairs and told his father the phone had died, asking him to "please lay with him until he goes to sleep."
According to the affidavit, Willis instructed his son to go back upstairs to the master bedroom and said he would be up shortly. Minutes later, Willis told police he heard a gunshot. He ran upstairs and found the fanny pack open, the pistol near the child’s leg and a gunshot wound to the child’s face.
The warrant states that River Willis removed the pistol from the fanny pack and shot himself, causing "cruel and excessive physical pain" and his death.
Authorities allege Willis acted with criminal negligence by leaving the loaded weapon unsecured and sending his son to the room where the gun was accessible, despite knowing the child was aware it was kept in the fanny pack.
The shooting happened around 2 p.m. at the Carlyle of Sandy Springs apartment residences on Sandalwood Drive.
Dig deeper:
A national analysis by Everytown for Gun Safety found that children in the United States unintentionally shoot themselves or others nearly every day after gaining access to unsecured firearms.
Reviewing more than 3,500 incidents from 2015 to 2024, researchers found an average of about 360 children a year are involved in accidental shootings, most often inside homes and frequently involving siblings or friends.
Everytown’s research shows that high schoolers and children ages five and younger account for the largest share of both shooters and victims in unintentional child shootings, with the sharpest recent increase driven by toddlers and preschoolers.
From 2015 to 2024, shootings by children five and under rose 35%, while incidents involving teens declined 15%. Boys make up the vast majority of both shooters and victims. Younger children are most likely to shoot themselves, while older teens more often unintentionally shoot others—typically siblings or friends.