A Jones County father reportedly is dead after his 2-year-old accidentally shot and killed him Thursday, news station WMAZ reported, citing Jones County Sheriff Butch Reece.

Deputy Coroner Stacy Gardner said the incident happened near Route 49.

Gardner said Jason Fowler, 28, died after the toddler found a gun in the house and shot him in the back, WMAZ reported.

"The victim was sitting down, was shot in the back," Reece told The Telegraph of Macon. "He calls someone and tells them he'd been shot. When deputies arrived, he'd passed away."

Fowler was pronounced dead at the scene about 9:40 p.m. Thursday.

Gardner said the family has been notified.

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“Our members cannot be bought off,” General President Sean O’Brien said in a social media statement, calling UPS' offers “illegal and haphazard.” (Hyosub Shin/AJC 2023)

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