A 15-year-old boy was killed after he accidentally shot himself while playing with
a loaded gun at his friend’s home
Wednesday night.
The incident occurred inside a home on
Williams Street around 8 p.m.
The teenager, identified by his family as
Derek Cosme of Glen Cove, was in the
kitchen with two of his friends when he got
his hands on an unsecured handgun,
Nassau police said.
According to the officers, Derek was waiting
for his mom and aunt to pick him up when
the gun went off and killed him shortly after.
Officials said the gun’s owner has a legal
permit for the firearm. While neighbors said
a retired Nassau County corrections officer
lives at the home where the tragedy
occurred.
The Nassau officials are now investigating
to determine if the weapon was not
properly secured and if a service weapon
was involved in the incident.
The family has already launched a GoFundMe
page to offset the funeral expenses.
No family should carry such a burden alone,”
the page says. “We are asking for help to
relieve our family of the stress of these
expenses, for all who loved Derek and our
family to come together to provide a
beautiful ceremony that he deserves.”