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7-year-old girl fatally shot in Juniata Park
Two people have been detained and an investigation is underway after police say a seven-year-old girl was found shot in her face inside a home in Juniata Park and she was pronounced dead shortly after.
PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police are investigating after they say a young girl was fatally shot in Philly's Juniata Park neighborhood.
The shooting occurred near the 3800 block of I-Street at around 2:25 p.m. Sunday.
Police say that a 7-year-old girl was found in her home with a gunshot wound to her face.
They say she was rushed to Saint Christopher’s Hospital for Children where she was pronounced dead at 2:39 p.m.
Police say a firearm was recovered at the scene.
At the time of the shooting, there were two adults and three children in the home. Police believe the shooting was an accident.
"It appears she either picked up a gun which was laying around and shot herself in the face or it is also possible that a two-year-old may have picked up the gun and shot the seven-year-old in the face," said DF Pace, Philadelphia Police Inspector.
Authorities have both the owner of the firearm and the owner of the house in custody.
Police say it’s unclear whether any of them are parents of the victim.
"There’s still a lot more information that we need to gather, to determine what criminal charges may be filed against either of those individuals. There will be a lot of discussions with the district attorneys office to determine what is appropriate in this instance," said DF Pace.
Mayor Cherelle Parker posted a series of tweets to X, formerly known as Twitter, showing her support for the child's family and urging people who own guns to safely secure them in their homes.
"Well, naturally, when you have a situation like that, it should not have happened clearly so responsible gun ownership dictates that firearms should be secure and out of the reach of any small children, of course," said Inspector Pace.
Check back for updates.