A 5-year-old girl has died after her 9-year-old brother accidentally shot her with a rifle owned by their father in their Phoenix home, USA.
The Phoenix Police Department confirmed that the girl was pronounced dead at a local trauma center following the incident, which occurred on Tuesday night.
According to authorities, the rifle used in the shooting belonged to the children’s father, 33-year-old Irvin Ramos-Jimenez. He has been arrested for possession of a weapon by a prohibited person.
“We ask all gun owners to ensure that all guns are stored in a location—preferably a secured safe—out of reach of all children in the home or who may visit,” Phoenix Police Sgt. Robert Scherer said in an email to ABC News. “No family should ever have to endure the loss of a child in circumstances like these.”
Guns are the leading cause of death for children in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Each year, hundreds of children in the U.S. access loaded firearms and accidentally shoot themselves or others, according to advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety.
The deadliest year on record for such incidents was 2023, with more than 400 unintentional shootings by children. So far in 2025, there have been at least 66 unintentional shootings by children, resulting in at least 30 deaths, Everytown reports.
