3-year-old accidentally shoots, kills 1-year-old sister with unsecured gun, police in California say

Francisco Guzman, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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A 3-year-old child fatally shot their 1-year-old sister with an unsecured handgun at a home in California, authorities said, the latest accidental shooting by a child in the U.S.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department received a call around 7:30 a.m. local time Monday about a shooting at a home in Fallbrook, California. When deputies arrived, they saw the 1-year-old girl with a head injury, the sheriff’s department said in a news release.

First responders arrived at the scene and took the child to Palomar Hospital, where she was pronounced dead around 8:30 a.m., the sheriff’s department said.

“The Sheriff's Department extends our sympathies to the family and those affected by this death,” the sheriff’s department said in the release. “There are no outstanding suspects.”

Sheriff's department investigating the shooting

Deputies confirmed the 3-year-old child obtained the unsecured gun before the shooting, and homicide investigators are “gathering more information to determine the circumstances of the death.”

The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death.

The investigation is ongoing, the sheriff’s department said.

Indiana: 4-year-old girl fatally shot by 5-year-old sibling, authorities say

Kentucky: 7-year-old child fatally shoots 5-year-old in accidental shooting: Police

Accidental shootings by children

Earlier this month, a 4-year-old Indiana girl was fatally shot by her 5-year-old sibling while playing with a gun, authorities said. Preliminary information suggests her sibling may have fired the weapon when they were playing.

In June, a 7-year-old child fatally shot a 5-year-old child at a Kentucky home, police said.

So far this year, there have been at least 186 unintentional shootings by children in the U.S., resulting in 66 deaths and 128 injuries, according to Everytown Research & Policy, an organization tracking media reports involving kids under 18 unintentionally shooting themselves or someone else.

Contributing: Terry Collins, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fallbrook, California, child, 3, accidentally shot, killed sister, 1