HOUSTON — A 3-year-old girl found a loaded gun in a Texas home and accidentally shot her sister, killing the 4-year-old on Sunday, an official said.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the girls were in the bedroom of an apartment on Bammel North Houston Road, where they lived with their parents, around 8 p.m.
Five adults, who were all family members or family friends, were in other parts of the apartment and inadvertently left the girls unsupervised, according to the sheriff.
“It appears that one parent thought the other parent might be watching the other children when, in fact, the two young children were left unsupervised inside the room,” Gonzalez said.
“The 3-year-old boy gained access to a loaded semi-automatic handgun. Family members heard a single shot. They ran into the room and found the little boy, 4 years old, unresponsive,” he added.
The girl was pronounced dead at the scene after police responded to a 911 call from the family, Gonzalez told reporters outside the home.
“It just seems like another tragic story of, again, a kid gaining access to a firearm and hurting another person and this time there was a fatal shot,” Gonzalez said.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office will decide whether any of the adults will face charges based on the police investigation, which is still in the preliminary phase, Gonzalez said.
“Our hearts are broken. Our officers are pretty shaken up,” Gonzalez said, noting that support staff would be on scene to help officers and family members.
“The community is affected when a child loses their life in this way,” González said, adding that the shooting was another preventable gun death.
“We continue to send the message that this is very preventable,” González said. “You have to make sure that you are a responsible gun owner and keep your guns in a safe place. It has to be more than just telling little kids not to touch guns. You know, we have to do a little more. We see far too many tragic situations like this unfold.»