PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A 7-year-old girl died on Sunday after she was shot in the face, police said.
Around 2:30 p.m., investigators said, police responded to a call about a shooting inside a Juniata Park home, near I Street and Erie Avenue. When they got to the scene, police found a girl with a gunshot wound to the face.
She was taken to the hospital, where officials said she was pronounced dead.
Inspector D.F. Pace said the shooting appeared to be an accident.
“It appears that she either picked up a gun, which was lying around, and shot herself in the face. Or it is also possible that a 2-year-old may have picked up the gun and shot the 7-year-old in the face,” he said.
The kids were in an upstairs bedroom. Two men were on the first floor. Police said one is the gun owner and the other is the homeowner. Police did not say whether either man is related to the 7-year-old.
Both men are in police custody. It’s not clear yet whether they are facing charges.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, seven people, including two teenagers, were injured in six separate shootings across the city. Investigators said all of the victims are expected to recover.
From 11:30 p.m. Saturday through just after 6 a.m. Sunday, the boys and men who were shot ranged in age from 15 to 47 years old.
One shooting in North Philly led to a barricade and one suspect taken into custody, per police.
To date, the number of homicides is down about 48% compared to this time last year, according to statistics from PPD.