Brandy Grace Shuler, Eutawville, South Carolina 6 year old girl accidentally shot dead by another child at family home as Orangeburg authorities now investigate whether to file charges.
A 6 year old girl in South Carolina died Wednesday after she was ‘accidentally’ shot dead by another child at her home residence.
Brandy Grace Shuler was identified as the victim.
The girl was tragically shot by another juvenile at a residence in Eutawville circa 3.40pm, Wednesday afternoon according to a release from the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office.
‘We lost someone precious’
Responding officers found the 6 year old girl critically wounded. The girl was transported to the hospital, where she later died from a single gunshot wound to the upper body, officials stated.
Investigators determined that the girl had been accidentally shot by another child in the home, according to Sheriff Leroy Ravenell with the Orangenurg County Sheriff’s Department.
‘We are broken-hearted over this tragic loss of a little princess,’ Ravenell said. ‘We lost someone precious this week.’
Not immediately clear is how the other child came to obtain access to the gun, whether the gun owner had legal rights to the weapon and whether investigators would now seek to press charges.
Leading cause of death for children in the U.S and gun safety
Unintentional injury from a firearm is the leading cause of death for children in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Last year was the worst year on record for unintentional shootings by children, surpassing 400 incidents, according to Everytown, a nonprofit that advocates for gun safety.
The accidentally shooting has once again led to calls from the community and various advocacy groups for increased awareness and measures to prevent such tragedies in the future.
Discussions around firearm safety, especially in households with young children, have been brought to the forefront, emphasizing the need for stringent safety protocols and secure storage of firearms. The tragedy has sparked a broader conversation about responsible gun ownership and the importance of ensuring that firearms are kept out of reach of children to prevent accidental shootings.
Authorities continue to investigate.
