2-Year-Old Ohio Boy Finds Loaded Gun, Fatally Shoots Pregnant Mother

An Ohio toddler playing with a gun he allegedly found in his parents’ nightstand, accidentally fired and killed his eight-months-pregnant mother, authorities said.

Police responded about 1:15 p.m. Friday to a 911 call from 31-year-old Laura Ilg, who told dispatchers she had been shot in the back by her 2-year-old son inside their Norwalk home, according to a press release from the Norwalk Police Department.

Seconds later, authorities said they received a call from Ilg’s husband, 28-year-old Alek Ilg, whose wife reportedly told him to call 911 after “screaming something about my son,” the release states. He was at work at the time.

Officers arrived to find Ilg, who was 33 weeks pregnant, with her son in her upstairs bedroom, along with a loaded semi-automatic pistol. Police said Ilg was fully conscious and she told officers what happened.

According to the release, she was rushed to Fisher-Titus Medical Center, where surgeons performed an emergency c-section. However, Ilg's unborn child died, and Ilg was declared dead about three hours later.

Police said the gun, which belongs to Ilg’s husband, was allegedly usually kept in a nightstand in the couple’s bedroom.

Before her death, Ilg told police that the room is typically kept locked and multiple baby gates are set up around the house, according to Cleveland 19 News. She reportedly said her son somehow got into the room and started playing with the gun while she was doing laundry.

As officers searched the home, they found two more firearms: a loaded 12-gauge shotgun in the couple’s bedroom closet and an airsoft rifle from a computer room closet, according to the release.

According to Cleveland 19 News, police said the surviving 2-year-old boy is staying with his father, as the investigation into how the toddler was able to pull the trigger remains ongoing.


In the aftermath of his wife and unborn child's deaths, Alek Ilg paid tribute to them on Facebook.


“If you haven't heard, Laura and our unborn son Talisen passed away Friday,” he wrote. “There are no words for the pain and loss I feel. She was, is, and will always be, the love of my life.”


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Born in North Carolina, Ilg was described in her obituary as someone who enjoyed attending church and spending time with her family. She was also an avid reader, and especially liked Harry Potter, crafting and enjoyed board games, the obit states.


No charges have been filed in the case, which police say will be forwarded to the Huron County Prosecutor’s Office.

Credit People

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