PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A 24-year-old man has been charged after a 7-year-old girl was fatally shot in the face in her Juniata Park home on Sunday.
Alan Nguyen has been charged with involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child, and recklessly endangering another person following the shooting death of Mia Andujar.
Police responded to a home near I Street and Erie Avenue around 2:30 p.m. Sunday and found Mia with a gunshot wound to the face. She was taken to the hospital, where she died.
Investigators said Nguyen was on the first floor of the home with one of Mia’s family members. Mia and a toddler were in an upstairs bedroom.
Police Inspector D.F. Pace said the shooting appeared to be a tragic 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.
Nguyen was staying with the family and had stored a gun in the bedroom, officials said.
A second person, believed to be the homeowner, was also taken into custody after the shooting but has not been charged.