(PHOENIX) — A 9-year-old boy allegedly shot and killed his 5-year-old sister by accident in their Phoenix home, police said.
The 5-year-old girl was pronounced dead at a local trauma center after the incident on Tuesday night, Phoenix police said.
The rifle used in the shooting belonged to the children’s father, 33-year-old Irvin Ramos-Jimenez, police said. Ramos-Jimenez has been arrested for possession of a weapon by a prohibited person, police said.
It was not immediately clear where the rifle used in the Phoenix shooting was stored.
“We ask all gun owners to ensure that all guns are stored in a location, preferably a secured safe, out of reach of all children in the home or who may visit,” Phoenix Police Sgt. Robert Scherer told ABC News via email. “No family should ever have to endure the loss of a child in circumstances like these.”
Guns are the leading cause of death for children in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Each year, hundreds of kids in the U.S. access loaded firearms and accidentally shoot themselves or someone else, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. The worst year on record was 2023, when there were more than 400 unintentional shootings by kids, Everytown said.
So far this year, kids have carried out at least 66 unintentional shootings, resulting in at least 30 deaths, according to Everytown.
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