A girl “believed to be five years old” is in critical condition at a D.C. hospital for a gunshot wound in the presence of her younger brother Monday night, police said.
A girl “believed to be five years old” is in critical condition at a D.C. hospital for a gunshot wound in the presence of her younger brother Monday night, police said.
D.C. police Chief Pamela Smith said officers were called to a report of a shooting at an apartment in the unit block of Galveston Street in Southwest around 6:30 p.m.
She said officers found “a young female victim, believed to be five years old” shot in the upper-body and immediately gave her first-aid before emergency crews rushed her to a hospital. The girl is in critical condition.
Smith said the girl was “injured after a younger child accessed an unsecured firearm in the apartment,” adding that the younger child is “roughly around three years old.”
“This incident really highlights the danger of unsecured firearms in homes, especially around children,” Smith said.
According to police, the children were left with an adult man, considered to be a friend of the family inside the apartment. The man was tasked with watching and caring for the children while their mother was running errands.
Smith said an adult female, believed to be a sister of the female victim, was arrested for assaulting a special police officer working at the apartment complex where the shooting happened.
Below is a map of where the shooting took place.
This is a developing story. Stay with WTOP for the latest.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
