HOUSTON (Scripps News) — A 3-year-old old girl accidentally shot and killed her four-year-old old sister, authorities said.
According to the Houston Police Department, the toddlers were inside an apartment on Sunday where a group of family members were gathered.
Houston County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the children were unsupervised in a bedroom where the three-year-old found a loaded semi-automatic pistol and shot her sister.
“It appears that one parent thought that the other parents was maybe watching the other children,” Gonzalez said.
The family told deputies that they ran into the room after hearing a single gunshot. The 4-year-old wasn’t responsive and was pronounced dead at the scene, Gonzalez stated.
Police have not said who the gun belonged to or whether charges will be filed.
The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that 33% of U.S. children live in homes with firearms, many of which are not properly stored.
According to Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun safety advocacy group, there have been 58 unintentional shootings involving children this year. More than 20 of them have resulted in deaths.
This story was originally published on March 14, 2023, by Scripps News, an E.W. Scripps Company.
