USA-The dead boy and his siblings were in the woods in Atlanta, Georgia, when the gun was found which police think may belong to suspects who had fled a nearby traffic stop

A five-year-old boy accidentally shot his brother, 12, dead after mistaking a loaded gun he found in the woods as a toy.

The brothers were playing on a trampoline when the gun was found, 11Alive reports.

Special investigators spoke to the five-year-old who told them he that it was a toy when he fired it hitting his older brother in the chest.

Paramedics were called to the scene on Saturday just after 7.40pm where they performed CPR on the boy before he was rushed to Wellstar Spalding Regional Hospital where he later died.

Police said two hours before the tragedy officers had searched an area near where the gun was found after a group of suspects had fled a traffic stop nearby.

Officer found a bag of suspected MDMA drugs, commonly known as Ecstasy or Molly, but not the gun.

The suspects fled on foot and escaped police after running behind some houses.

In their statement on Sunday, Griffin Police said the shooting was likely a ‘tragic accident’ and the hunt was on to find the person who dumped the loaded weapon in the woods.

Chief Mike Yates: “We will diligently pursue and charge any other parties responsible for the actions leading up to the apparent abandonment of this weapon allowing for access by these innocent children.

‘We will leave no stone unturned as we search for the individuals responsible for the abandonment of this weapon.”

The gun has been sent to Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab for touch DNA analysis.