Gun owners as well as weapons control management advocates and kibitzers are again at odds. A freak tragic accident has claimed the life of a Phoenix, Arizona man when his own 4-year old son took hold of a loaded gun and pointed it on his chest, in a surprise visit to the house of his former roommate gone wrong.

Justin Stanfield Thomas and his son drove to Prescott Valley on Friday to surprise his friend James Williams as well as to pick up some of his things from the duplex where they shared until earlier this year.

Within minutes upon entering the house, neighbors heard a single gunshot fired. It was also by this time that Mr Williams, who was asleep in a back bedroom and had no idea that the father-son duo were arriving and that they had actually entered the premises of the house, bolted out from his room and saw his bloodied friend.

Investigation showed the boy immediately took notice of the.380-caliber semi-automatic loaded handgun that was rested on a television stand. Curiosity immediately took over, the boy took the gun, even asked his father what it was and in what seemed to be a boy's natural attitude to test things, pointed the gun at Mr Thomas and then pulled the trigger.

"Daddy got blood on him," the boy later told investigators.

In a 911 recording released Monday, Mr Williams relayed "a man in his 30s was shot in the left side of the chest and was bleeding."

"He's non responsive, he's breathing, there's bubbles coming from his mouth," Mr Williams was recorded saying. "He looks pretty bad."

Pressed for more details, Mr Williams told the dispatcher he wasn't sure what happened but he believed it was an accident between father and own son. Mr Thomas later died at a hospital.

Police have said this case will be considered just a homicide. Charges will not be filed against Mr Williams who lived alone in the house and kept the gun for safety and personal defense purposes.

"He really wasn't in a position to know they were there or to go and secure his gun," the Huffington Post quoted Police Sgt. Brandon Bonney. "With this person, living by himself, there wasn't necessarily any legal requirement to keep that weapon locked away."

The child, who still has yet to fully grasp the result of his actions, is now staying with his mother.

Mr Thomas' mother said her grandson had no idea what happened and was waiting to play with his dad.

Mr Thomas was an Army special forces veteran who served in Iraq.