STRUTHERS — Sheriff Jerry Greene said Monday the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office is handling the investigation into the Friday morning shooting death of a 3-year-old boy in Struthers.

Greene said the reason is because of a potential conflict of interest involving the Struthers Police Department and a member of the boy’s family.

Struthers Capt. D.J. Aldish said Friday the shooting involved an “unsecured firearm in a home. And the worst possible thing happened and a child got a hold of it.” It happened in the 400 block of Spring Street at about 12:16 p.m. Friday.

According to published reports, the child was being taken from the scene by car when Boardman police and fire personnel stopped to assist. The Mahoning County Coroner confirmed the child died from his injuries around 3 p.m.

The Struthers Police Department released an initial report to The Vindicator Monday morning that states that the child who died turned 3 on Aug. 10.

Among the property recovered from the scene was a spent bullet shell casing and a black Glock Model 48 Manufacture gun case. Also listed are a pair of pants, a pair of Nike shoes and a pair of socks, all with blood stains, according to the report.

The narrative on the reports states only that “Officers were dispatched to … Spring St. for a call of a shooting.”