A 4-year-old Indiana girl was shot and killed by a 5-year-old sibling Wednesday.
Cumberland Police Chief Suzanne Crooke-Woodland told WTHR that Deor Neita was playing with her other siblings in the apartment, but investigators have not determined how the child got hold of the gun and whether any charges will be filed.
“She was upstairs with her other siblings playing. We still don’t have a clear idea of what exactly was going on. We just know they were at home with their great-great grandma, who was their caretaker, while mom was at work,” Crooke-Woodland said.
“It’s gut-wrenching,” she said. “It doesn’t make any sense. It’s tragic. It’s tragic for the family, for us and for the officers that had to come in and witness that. This could have all been prevented.”
Investigators said there were four children, including the victim, in the room at the time of the shooting.
“Seeing how our suspect — I hate to say that about a baby like that — what do you do? Ultimately, your children are your responsibility. It has to go back to the adults,” Crooke-Woodland said.
“Respect these firearms,” the chief said. “They’re not toys. Quit carrying them around without a safety or without some kind of way of storing them. All of these police departments and fire departments, they have gun locks for a reason. They’re free. Get them. Use them. There’s no reason you need a loaded firearm laying around anywhere, especially around small children.”
Just last week, Indianapolis police distributed hundreds of free locks at an event at a church on the city’s east side.
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[Featured image: WTHR screenshot]
