WASHINGTON, D.C. — A 5-year-old girl remains in critical condition after being accidentally shot by her 3-year-old brother while they were playing with an unsecured firearm inside a Southwest D.C. apartment Monday evening.
Police responded to an apartment complex on Galveston Street, Southwest, around 6:30 p.m., where officers found the young girl with a gunshot wound to her upper body. Officers administered aid until paramedics transported her to a local hospital.
Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said during a press conference that the shooting occurred when the two children discovered an unsecured firearm while under the care of a long-time family friend. The 3-year-old boy accidentally fired the weapon, striking his sister.
The family friend, who was responsible for watching the children while their mother was running errands, was arrested and charged with cruelty to children. Additionally, an older sibling at the scene was arrested for assaulting a special officer at the apartment complex, though it remains unclear if charges will be filed in that case.
Police are still investigating the origin of the firearm and how it ended up in the home.