A two-year-old child has died after shooting himself with his policeman father's gun.

Cleveland police said the toddler died during surgery. They said his father's service weapon had gone off after he grabbed it on Thursday.

The identity of the 54-year-old police officer, who has served in the Ohio city's police force for 23 years, has not been revealed. The child was named locally as Dominique.

Ohio State University shooting Show all 16 1 /16 Ohio State University shooting Ohio State University shooting Crime scene investigators collect evidence from the pavement as police respond to an attack on campus at Ohio State University, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) AP Ohio State University shooting Ohio State students duck under police tape after a shelter-in-place notification was lifted following an attack Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. (Joshua A. Bickel/The Columbus Dispatch via AP) AP Ohio State University shooting Students leave buildings as police respond to an attack on campus at Ohio State University, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) AP Ohio State University shooting Students leave buildings as police respond to an attack on campus at Ohio State University, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) AP Ohio State University shooting Police respond to reports of an active shooter on campus at Ohio State University, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) AP Ohio State University shooting Students leave buildings surrounding Watts Hall as police respond to reports of an active shooter on campus at Ohio State University, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) AP Ohio State University shooting Law enforcement officials are seen outside of a parking garage on the campus of Ohio State University as they respond to an active attack in Columbus, Ohio, on November 28, 2016. Eight people were injured when an attacker apparently drove into a crowd at Ohio State University on Monday, triggering an hours-long lockdown before authorities declared the campus secure. Law enforcement shot and killed one suspect, according to local television station WBNS, which reported that police led two people out in handcuffs from a garage they had surrounded on the university's main campus in Columbus. / AFP / Paul Vernon (Photo credit should read PAUL VERNON/AFP/Getty Images) PAUL VERNON/AFP/Getty Ohio State University shooting A law enforcement official motions for people to leave the area outside of a parking garage on the campus of Ohio State University as they respond to an active attack in Columbus, Ohio, on November 28, 2016. Eight people were injured when an attacker apparently drove into a crowd at Ohio State University on Monday, triggering an hours-long lockdown before authorities declared the campus secure. Law enforcement shot and killed one suspect, according to local television station WBNS, which reported that police led two people out in handcuffs from a garage they had surrounded on the university's main campus in Columbus. PAUL VERNON/AFP/Getty Ohio State University shooting Law enforcement officials are seen outside of a parking garage on the campus of Ohio State University as they respond to an active attack in Columbus, Ohio, on November 28, 2016. Eight people were injured when an attacker apparently drove into a crowd at Ohio State University on Monday, triggering an hours-long lockdown before authorities declared the campus secure. Law enforcement shot and killed one suspect, according to local television station WBNS, which reported that police led two people out in handcuffs from a garage they had surrounded on the university's main campus in Columbus. PAUL VERNON/AFP/Getty Ohio State University shooting Law enforcement officials are seen outside of a parking garage on the campus of Ohio State University as they respond to an active attack in Columbus, Ohio, on November 28, 2016. Eight people were injured when an attacker apparently drove into a crowd at Ohio State University on Monday, triggering an hours-long lockdown before authorities declared the campus secure. Law enforcement shot and killed one suspect, according to local television station WBNS, which reported that police led two people out in handcuffs from a garage they had surrounded on the university's main campus in Columbus. PAUL VERNON/AFP/Getty Ohio State University shooting Members of the Columbus SWAT team work the scene around a parking garage on the campus of The Ohio State University Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio. ) AP Photo/Jay LaPrete Ohio State University shooting Students leave buildings as police respond to an attack on campus at Ohio State University, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Ohio State University shooting SWAT teams and police respond to reports of an active shooter on campus at Ohio State University, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Ohio State University shooting Police respond to reports of an active shooter on campus at Ohio State University, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Ohio State University shooting Students leave buildings surrounding Watts Hall as police respond to reports of an active shooter on campus at Ohio State University, Monday, Nov. 28, 2016, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) Ohio State University shooting Law enforcement officials are seen outside of a parking garage on the campus of Ohio State University as they respond to an active attack in Columbus, Ohio, on November 28, 2016. Eight people were injured when an attacker apparently drove into a crowd at Ohio State University on Monday, triggering an hours-long lockdown before authorities declared the campus secure. Law enforcement shot and killed one suspect, according to local television station WBNS, which reported that police led two people out in handcuffs from a garage they had surrounded on the university's main campus in Columbus. PAUL VERNON/AFP/Getty

"When I went in there, I seen that baby – he was only two years old – I seen that baby laying on the floor", neighbour Sonya Hobbs told the Cleveland.com news site.

She said was leaving her home at around 10.30am when the victim's older brother ran up to her "screaming and hollering" for someone to phone 911, because his brother had just shot himself.

Ms Hobbs said she called the police, and then entered the house to see the child with a gunshot wound to his head.

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The boy was taken from his home in the Brooklyn Centre neighbourhood of Old Cleveland to the MetroHealth medical centre, where he died on the operating table.

Fatal shootings by toddlers are increasing in the US. In 2015, more Americans were killed by toddlers than by terrorists.