It happened on Monday this week, when Malachi Hemphill's mother, Shaniqua Stephens, heard the gunshot while sitting in the kitchen of their home in Forest Hill, just outside Atlanta in Georgia. She ran upstairs with her 12-year-old daughter and after kicking down his bedroom door, found her 13-year-old son lying in a pool of blood. The boy had accidentally shot himself, all the while streaming live on Instagram Live. While Malachi was taken to a hospital in Atlanta, he reportedly passed away on arrival.

Stephens told NBC News at their home that Malachi had just taken out the trash when she heard a bang coming from upstairs on Monday evening.

As soon as they found the boy, her daughter screamed at her to turn off the Georgia teenager's phone. Stephens said when she looked at the phone, she could see he was streaming on Instagram Live.

13-year-old did not commit suicide

According to a family member, Malachi did not kill himself. That person told CBS 46 that the boy loved life and was playing with the gun when it went off accidentally. Police also state that Hemphill’s death was an accident, but are investigating to find out how he got hold of the gun and why the weapon went off.

CBS News notes that the teenager’s grandmother, Helen Hemphill, had said he had traded his iPhone with a friend for the Hi-Point 9 mm pistol four days before the accidental shooting, but this has not yet been confirmed by police.

Someone on Instagram told the boy to put the clip in the gun

There were reportedly around 10 to 15 people watching on Instagram Live when it happened. Friends of the 13-year-old, who were watching Malachi on the live stream, told his mother he was initially playing with the gun with no clip in it. However, someone on Instagram suggested he put the clip into the gun.

Reportedly it was as he did this that the gun went off. Shantiera Bankston, Malachi’s godmother, said Malachi would maybe still be here today, if only someone had spoken up to warn the family.

Live streaming apps a troubling trend

Instagram is a popular photo and video sharing app which is owned by Facebook.

Reportedly they introduced the Instagram Live streaming feature in November last year. This was to keep the app in line with Facebook Live and other popular social media streaming apps like Snapchat and Periscope. However live streaming is not without its controversy. The introduction of Facebook Live has led to a troubling trend, with sexual assaults and suicide attempts streamed live online.

Police warn parents to monitor their kids’ social media activity

Forest Park Police Major Chris Matson said at a Thursday press conference that this was a horrific and tragic event, not only for the family but for everyone.

Matson went on to urge parents to keep an eye on their children’s Internet usage and stressed that children must also be made aware of the dangers involved in playing with guns. Matson went on to say that it is a “different era,” saying kids have more access to the Internet and social media than ever before. Police want to reiterate that warning message to parents.

Malachi’s grandmother said the Georgia teenager used several social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Stephens said after the tragic shooting accident that she will be closely monitoring her daughter’s social media activity in future.
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