It's silent in the Red Bluff Community of Loris Sunday morning. The only audible noise on E.V. Road is the wind blowing.
Silence as police still investigate Saturday's accidental shooting that left three year old Everett Tanner Avant dead. Police say the child was inside a car, with his mother and her boyfriend nearby, when the toddler found a pistol that had been left there.
Some thirty miles away on the other end of Horry County, Mylissa and Chip Bellamy say they know what that Loris family is feeling.
"The situation yesterday, whenever we hear about it happening, it takes up back to loosing Matthew and it just breaks our heart for that family. {They're} going to have to live with this," Mylissa said. The Bellamy's lost their son Matthew a little more than a year ago when he was accidentally shot and killed.
The couple have hung memories of Mathew in their house. Memories like his sports jerseys, baseball bat and soccer ball, and the last picture the family took together. Mylissa says she feels for the Loris family, but says a simple gun lock could have prevented this.
"Kids are naturally curious about guns, whether they are raised with them or not. So all children need to be taught the basic rules about gun safety whether they are familiar with them or not," Mylissa said.
The Bellamy's now hand out free gun locks as part of the Matthew Bellamy Project. To date they've given out more than 15 hundred.
"Children need to be protected. They're children. Children as young as three can pull that trigger," she said.
Horry County police are still investigating the Avant shooting in Loris. They say it's not known wether anyone will face charges.
