3-Year-Old Texas Girl Accidentally Shot, Killed Her 4-Year-Old Sister

A 3-year-old Texas girl fatally shot her 4-year-old sister in a tragic accidental shooting, authorities said.

According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, the accident occurred Sunday night in an apartment on Bammel North Houston Road in northwest Harris County.

Five adults, including the two girls' mother and stepfather, were thought to be in the apartment when the accident happened. Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said the kids were alone in a bedroom while the adults thought that at least one of them was with the girls.

According to ABC 7, the 3-year-old girl got her hands on a loaded semi-automatic pistol and shot her 4-year-old sister by accident, killing her on the spot.

"It just seems like another tragic story of a child gaining access to a firearm and hurting someone else. This time it was a fatal shot - appears to be to her sibling," Gonzalez noted.

Texas Girl Dies in Accidental Shooting

Authorities described the incident that killed the Texas girl as an "easily preventable tragedy."

The Harris County District Attorney's Office and other agencies recently started a campaign to encourage individuals to secure their firearms and gave away free safes and locks.

Every day, 5.4 million children are reportedly exposed to guns that are not locked up, the newly formed Houston Gun Safety Coalition said, according to KHOU 11.

In addition, thefts of firearms from vehicles are also on the rise in the Houston metro area. That is why free gun locks and safes are being distributed.

Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen previously noted that gun locks that loop through the firearms were available through his department.

"Our patrol deputies out on patrol actually have these in their trunk. All you have to do is stop an officer and ask them for a lock for a gun - nine times out of 10, they'll have it in the trunk and can get it out and give it to you. There's no cost," Rosen said.

Authorities noted that firearms should be stored securely since improper care can lead to loss, theft, or even accidental shooting.

"Get a gun safe or a gun lock. Store it somewhere where, you know, it can't be accessible to a child," Gonzalez said.

Texas Prosecutors Have Yet to Decide If Charges Will be Filed

Prosecutors have at least a week to decide whether to press charges after the deadly accidental shooting.

Investigators cannot file charges against or arrest the parents for at least seven days following the death of a child, said the Harris County District Attorney's Office. According to ABC 13, that is to allow for a "mourning time."

Prosecutors will next present the case to a grand jury, who will decide whether to file charges against the parents.

According to data gathered by ABC Owned Television Stations' team, 23 children have been shot by another youngster under 13 in Texas since January 1, 2020.

There were four instances in Houston proper and four more in the suburbs and adjacent cities, such as Jefferson County, Katy, Montgomery, and La Porte.

As of September 1, 1995, adults in Texas were legally required to store loaded weapons safely out of the reach of children.

From that point until May 3 last year, the annual rate at which an adult made a firearm available to a kid was anywhere from zero to eight, and not all resulted in death.

Less than half of the 83 charges against adult defendants were ultimately resolved with a fine, probation, or jail sentence, but most of the time, these cases do not end with a guilty plea or a long time in jail.

Data shows that most cases end in dismissal or a postponement of sentencing. It is extremely rare for a parent to be charged with a crime if the gun owner in a case involving a fatal child was a parent, according to the DA's office, which spoke with ABC 13.

The grand jury often argues that the parent has already suffered the harshest possible punishment by losing their child.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Girl, 3, Shoots, Kills Sister, 4, at NW Harris County Apartment, Sheriff Says - From KHOU 11