A pregnant mother and her unborn child were unintentionally shot and killed after her two-year son found a handgun at their Ohio home last week.
Laura Ilg was shot in the back Friday (June 16) after the child mistakingly got a hold of his father’s firearm. The 31-year-old died hours later, per a police statement to the Norwalk Reflector.
Pregnant Ohio Mother Was 33 Weeks Along, Child Would Have Been Her Second
The child’s father and Ilg’s husband, Alex, were reportedly at work at the time of the fatal shooting.
Ilg was 33 weeks pregnant, according to the police department’s statement. The child, named Talisen, would have been Ilg’s second.
Officers were forced to kick down the door–which was locked–to gain access to the house.
Norwalk Police Chief David Smith told Cleveland 19 that Ilg initially told responding personnel that she was in shock and quite uncomfortable.
Smith added she remained calm as she relayed the shocking events to the police.
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Ilg was rushed to a nearby hospital. There, doctors attempted to perform an emergency C-section. However, the unborn child ultimately died, Smith confirmed.
Such a tragic story.
Laura Ilg and her unborn child, Talisen, both died after she sustained an unintentional gunshot wound. Her 2 year old got ahold of the weapon.
Safe firearm storage saves lives. pic.twitter.com/pQei0gmrOy
— Rach, MPH* 🟧 (@rachmph) June 22, 2023
The Shooting: How Laura Ilg’s Son, 2, Found And Used Gun
She was then pronounced dead several hours later, around 5 p.m.
Smith said that investigators eventually learned that at least one baby gate had been left open, allowing the child to find the firearm.
The gun is believed to have been left on the couple’s nightstand. Police say that’s where the weapon was typically kept.
However, responding officers did note “numerous child safety features, such as safety gates at almost every doorway and child locks on all accessible draws,” the department’s statement reads. It remains unclear whether the drawer was locked before the deadly shooting.
When the toddler entered her bedroom and started playing with the gun, Ilg told authorities she was busy doing laundry in another room.
At the scene, officers seized a Sig Sauer semi-automatic pistol. They also located a spent shell casing, according to the police department’s press release.
Un bambino di 2 anni (DUE) trova la pistola lasciata carica sul comodino dal padre e uccide la madre incinta all’ottavo mese con un colpo alla schiena.
In casa c’erano altre tre pistole.
Negli #Usa il 40% delle famiglie americane con figli possiede armi.#LauraIlg aveva 31 anni pic.twitter.com/QIC6R0HEUe— Antonella Napoli (@AntonellaNapoli) June 22, 2023
Search Warrant Uncovers Several Guns, Case Forwarded To Prosecutors Office For Possible Charges
Officers found a loaded 12-gauge shotgun in the closet and a 12-round magazine inside the Ilg’s bedroom nightstand after receiving a search warrant for the home. Per the news release, a Carbine AirSoft rifle was also in the computer room.
Meanwhile, the child is in the custody of his father as of Thursday (June 22), Cleveland 19 reports.
Laura and her husband reportedly met while Alex was in the Marines, her obituary reads. The couple had been married since 2018.
Family and friends described Laura as a loving wife and mother who enjoyed “Harry Potter,” crafting, and board games.
The case has since been forwarded to the Huron County Prosecutor’s Office. There, the state of Ohio will consider whether criminal charges should be filed.
