Horror as a three-year-old girl accidentally SHOOTED AND KILLED her sister, 4, after finding a loaded semi-automatic gun in their Houston apartment while parents had friends over and left them unattended
A 3-year-old girl accidentally shot and killed her 4-year-old sister after finding a loaded semi-automatic pistol in their Houston apartment while their parents had friends over and left them unattended.
The accidental shooting occurred at the family home on Sunday, March 12 at 8 p.m. local time in Houston, Texas.
The two girls were left unattended in a bedroom in the apartment because one parent thought the other was watching them, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.
Five adults — relatives and friends — were also present in the Bammel North Houston Road apartment, including the girls’ parents.
It is believed the three-year-old found a loaded semi-automatic pistol and fired once, hitting her four-year-old sister, the sheriff said.
The accidental shooting occurred at the family home on Sunday, March 12 at 8 p.m. local time in Houston, Texas. The two girls were left unattended in a bedroom in the apartment because one parent thought the other was watching them, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said (file image)
The adults rushed into the bedroom after the single shot was fired and found the four-year-old unconscious.
They secured the firearm and called the emergency services on 911. The toddler was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sheriff Gonzalez said, “It just seems like another tragic story of yet another kid accessing a firearm and hurting someone else and this time there was a fatal shot.”
“Our hearts are broken. Our deputies are pretty shaken up,” Gonzalez continued, noting that support personnel would be on site to assist the officers and family members.
“The community is affected when a child loses their life in this way,” he said, adding that the shooting was another preventable death by gun.
“We continue to spread the message that this is very preventable.
“You need to make sure you are a responsible gun owner and keep your guns in a safe place. It has to be more than telling young children not to touch the guns.
“You know, we have something to do. We see far too many of these tragic situations happen.’
The Harris County district attorney will decide whether to charge any of the adults based on the police investigation, which Gonzalez says is still in its preliminary stages.
Advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety analyzed data on shootings to date through 2023 and found that there have been at least 58 accidental shootings by children in the US, resulting in 22 deaths and 37 injuries.
Last year there were at least 353 accidental shootings by children, killing 156 and injuring 212, the group said.