A 5-year-old girl was shot by another child in their home in Merced, California on Thursday, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Officials responded to reports of a gun-related incident and identified a residence on the 1600 block of East 26th Street in Merced, California as the site of the crime, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Merced Police Department posted a Facebook update with information about the incident.
Accidental ShootingOn October 22nd, 2020 at 1427 hours, Merced Police Department Officers responded to a report of…
Posted by Merced Police Department on Thursday, October 22, 2020
“After a preliminary investigation, detectives believe the 5-year-old victim was accidentally shot by another juvenile family member,” according to the Merced Police Department (MPD) Facebook statement.
The Merced Police Department also received word that a man had dropped off a 5-year-old victim of a gunshot wound to Mercy Hospital, according to the MPD Facebook statement. The man was identified as “Rodney Matthews,” the father of the 5-year-old girl and owner of the gun, after “engaging in a high-speed pursuit.” (RELATED: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott Criticizes Biden For Saying He’ll Transition Away From Oil)
Rodney Matthews, following arrest, was “booked on charges of child endangerment which resulted in the death of a child, felony reckless driving while evading officers, and a prohibited person in possession of firearms and ammunition,” according to the MPD Facebook statement.
1.7 million children live with unlocked and loaded weapons, i.e., 1 out of every three homes with children also possesses guns, according to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute. The majority of shooting deaths of children, accounting for 89% of these incidents, take place in the home, and these deaths mostly take place when children play with loaded guns in the parent’s absence.
The Merced Police Department has not released further information about the incident, the shooter, or the family, per the Los Angeles Times.