A 3-year-old in Texas who found her parents’ gun accidentally shot and killed her 4-year-old sister. The children were unintentionally left unsupervised, with each parent thinking the other was watching.
Toddlers accidentally gain access to a loaded pistol
In Harris County, Texas, a tragic story unfolded as two toddlers, who were in a Houston-area apartment with five adults, managed to get a hold of a loaded semi-automatic pistol.
The parents of a 3-year-old and 4-year-old girl unintentionally left the two toddlers unsupervised, as each parent thought the other was watching the girls, when in fact they had been left unsupervised in a bedroom, according to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzales, ABC 7 reported.
A spokesperson for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said in an email to BuzzFeed that the department’s Crimes Against Children unit has taken over the investigation. The unit will determine whether the parents had properly stored the gun or were otherwise negligent.
3-year-old accidentally shoots and kills her 4-year-old sister
In the bedroom, the three-year-old girl managed to find and pick up an “unsecured” and loaded semi-automatic pistol.
Upon hearing a single gunshot, the family members rushed into the room and found that one child had apparently shot the other toddler, Sheriff Gonzalez said during a press conference.
The 3-year-old had the pistol, and allegedly fired the shot into the 4-year-old’s face, BuzzFeed News reported. The girl was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities call on gun owners to secure weapons better
Sheriff Gonzalez said shootings such as this are preventable.
“You’ve got to be sure you’re being a responsible gun owner, securing your weapons in a safe place,” Sheriff Gonzalez said during the press conference. “It’s got to be more than just telling young kids not to touch the weapons.”
“You know, we’ve got to do a little more,” Gonzalez continued. “We see far too many tragic situations like this unfold.”
“Our hearts are broken,” Gonzalez added. “Our deputies are pretty shaken up. The community is impacted when a child loses their life in this way.”
Gun violence is the leading cause of premature death in the US
The leading cause of premature death in the United States is gun violence, according to the American Public Health Association (APHA), which has deemed the situation a public health crisis. The APHA reports that more than 38,000 people are killed by guns each year, with nearly 85,000 injured.
