A 4-year-old Texas girl lost her life when her 3-year-old sister accidentally shot her after finding a loaded gun inside their Houston home. The shooting took place on a Sunday evening while the two sisters were playing in a bedroom. At the time, there were five adults in the house, but the two toddlers were left unsupervised. It appears that one parent thought the other parent was watching the children.
According to Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, the 3-year-old gained access to a loaded semi-automatic pistol, and the family members heard a single gunshot before rushing into the room. They found the 4-year-old unresponsive on the floor, and she was pronounced dead at the scene. The girl was shot in the face, and the police believe it was unintentional.
“At some point it appears that one parent thought the other parent was maybe watching the other children when in fact the two toddlers were left basically unsupervised inside the bedroom,” Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez told reporters.
Gonzalez said there were five adults in the home at the time of the incident.
“The 3-year-old gained access to a loaded semi-automatic pistol,” said Gonzalez. “Family members heard a single gunshot and ran into the room and found the small toddler, 4 years old, on the floor, unresponsive.”
The police have detained all the adults in the house and are investigating whether the gun owner had properly stored the weapon or was negligent. Gonzalez emphasized the need for responsible gun ownership, secure gun storage, and the prevention of such avoidable accidents. He stated that such incidents are preventable, and it is necessary to do more than just tell children not to touch weapons.
