SC--Toddler Shooting Death

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By Alicia Barnes

Story Created: Jul 6, 2012 at 4:17 PM EDT

Story Updated: Jul 6, 2012 at 4:18 PM EDT

ANDERSON, S.C. (AP) _ The Anderson County coroner's office has ruled the shooting death of a 2-year-old boy earlier this week an accident.

The Anderson Independent-Mail reported (http://bit.ly/KXUDao ) that Deputy Coroner Don McCown completed an autopsy Thursday and ruled the death of Josiah Tate an accident.

McCown says Tate picked up an Anderson County sheriff's deputy .38-caliber handgun on a table and shot himself in the head Tuesday.

The boy and his mother were living with the deputy, whose name has not been released. The State Law Enforcement Division is investigating the shooting because it involved an officer's weapon.

McCown says the deputy had come home, took off his gun and left to run errands. While he was out, the boy and his mother returned and the child picked up the gun and fired.