“This incident really highlights the danger of unsecured firearms in homes,” stated Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith.
A 5-year-old girl from Washington, D.C., is fighting for her life after being shot by her 3-year-old brother with an unsecured gun.
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith stated in a press conference hours after the Monday, December 16 event that the 5-year-old had a gunshot wound to the upper body when “a younger child accessed a firearm that was unsecured in the apartment.”
According to a police report obtained by PEOPLE, the boy was shot in the chest while in the living room of the apartment.
The kid received immediate aid when authorities arrived, but she was later brought to the hospital in serious condition, where she is still being treated for “critical injuries,” according to a news statement issued on Tuesday, December 17. The child’s name was not given in the release.
Smith stated that an adult male “tasked with providing support or care for the children” was present at the residence during the event while their mother was out conducting errands. She characterized the man as a “friend of the family that the family has known for quite some time.”
The man, later identified as 59-year-old Darrell Graham, was arrested at the scene and charged with First Degree Cruelty to Children, according to the news release.
Police issued a search warrant on the home and discovered the ammo and firearm used in the incident, which was later identified as a ghost gun.
According to United Against Gun Violence, ghost guns are “unserialized (and thus untraceable) firearms that are put together by components purchased either as a kit or as separate pieces,” but they are “fully functional guns.”
D’Jaunae McCrory Jackson, 21, believed to be the victim’s sister, was also charged with First Degree Cruelty to Children, Criminally Negligent Storage of a Firearm, Prohibited Possession of Certain Dangerous Weapons, Possession of a Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device, Possession of Unregistered Ammunition, and Possession of an Unregistered Firearm/Unlawful Possession of a Firearm or Destructive Device.
After being brought under arrest and charged with assault on a police officer (simple assault), McCrory Jackson was subsequently charged with the subsequent offense. She is accused of assaulting members of the Metropolitan Police Department and special police officers who reacted to the incident.
“What I want to emphasize tonight is that this incident really highlights the danger of unsecured firearms in homes and especially around children,” Smith stated during the news conference that took place on Monday.
“We want to emphasize the importance of firearm safety and we are asking everyone to keep our young female victim in your prayers at this time,” according to her statement.
