News

Actions

Girl, 5, killed in accidental shooting by brother, 8

Posted at 5:36 PM, Feb 05, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-05 17:36:45-05

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Police say a 5-year-old girl was fatally shot and her 4-year-old brother wounded in an accidental shooting by their 8-year-old brother.

The Florida Times-Union reports (http://bit.ly/2kC9l3y ) that the children were home alone in a Jacksonville apartment on Saturday afternoon when the shooting occurred.

Jacksonville Sheriff's Office Chief Chris Butler said the eldest boy fired a single shot from the gun, which killed his younger sister and gave his brother a non-life-threatening wound.

Butler said the mother had left for an unspecified amount of time to go to a store. He did not release the names of the family involved.

Butler said the incident is under investigation to see if any charges will be filed for leaving a gun accessible to the children.

___

Information from: The (Jacksonville) Florida Times-Union, http://www.jacksonville.com

(Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)