A Houston family is grappling with an unbearable tragedy after a 3-year-old fatally shot her 4-year-old sister with an unsecured loaded gun.
The accidental shooting occurred on Sunday at around 8:00 p.m. in an apartment on Bammel North Houston Road. As five adults, including the children’s mother and stepmother, preoccupied the home, the two young girls were left in a bedroom unattended. The younger of the two retrieved a loaded, semi-automatic pistol. It is unclear where that firearm was exactly or who owned It, but those inside the residence reported hearing a single gunshot. When they ran inside the room, they found the 4-year-old unresponsive on the floor. At that point, they secured the gun and called the police. Sadly, the child was pronounced dead at the scene.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez says the parents of the children each believed that the other was watching them, an unfortunate misunderstanding.
“It just seems like another tragic story of, again, a child gaining access to a firearm and hurting someone else, and this time there was a fatal shot,” Gonzalez shared.
As of now, no one has been arrested, but Gonzalez says charges are “very likely” for the adults in the home. Though unintentional, he urges adults to be more careful with their weapons. He suggests purchasing a gun safe to keep all firearms secured and out of children’s reach, calling this latest death “very preventable.”
The identities of the girls have not been made public.
