A girl “believed to be five years old” is in critical condition at a D.C. hospital for a gunshot wound in the presence of her younger brother Monday night, police said.
D.C. police Chief Pamela Smith said officers were called to a report of a shooting at an apartment in the unit block of Galveston Street in Southwest around 6:30 p.m.
She said officers found “a young female victim, believed to be five years old” shot in the upper-body and immediately provided first aid before emergency crews rushed her to a hospital.
Smith said the girl was “injured after a younger child accessed an unsecured firearm in the apartment,” adding that the younger child is “roughly around three years old.” Police are investigating who owns the gun, she said.
“This incident really highlights the danger of unsecured firearms in homes, especially around children,” Smith said.
Police arrested an adult man, who is considered to be a friend of the family, inside the apartment. The man was tasked with caring for the children while their mother ran errands. Smith said he will be charged with cruelty to children.
Smith said an adult female, believed to be a sister of the female victim, was arrested for assaulting a special police officer working at the apartment complex where the shooting happened.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Below is a map of where the shooting took place.
This is a developing story. Stay with WTOP for the latest.
