California toddler kills 1-year-old sister with handgun found in home, police say

A 3-year-old child accidentally shot and killed their 1-year-old sister on Monday with a handgun found in their San Diego home, police said. 

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department received a call at about 7:30 a.m. on July 17 regarding a shooting at a home in Fallbrook, the authorities said in a news release. 

Deputies arrived and confirmed that a 3-year-old had gotten access to an unsecured handgun and accidentally shot their 1-year-old sister, according to the sheriff's department. The 1-year-old suffered a head injury and was transported to a local hospital.

"Despite lifesaving efforts, she was pronounced deceased at about 8:30 a.m.," the sheriff's department said. 

It is not clear if any adults were in the home at the time of the shooting. 

An investigation into the incident is ongoing and the Medical Examiner's Office will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death, according to the sheriff's department. 

There are currently no "outstanding suspects" and there is no threat to the community, the sheriff's department said. 

"The Sheriff's Department extends our sympathies to the family and those affected by this death," authorities said. 

The incident is the latest unintentional shooting involving kids to occur in the U.S. According to the nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety, firearms are the leading cause of death for children under 18 in the United States, with unintentional shootings making up 5% of annual gun deaths among children 17 and younger. 

Unintentional shootings happen most often when children are at home, according to Everytown. The organization reviewed data from 2015 to 2022 and found that the highest number of unintentional child shootings per day occurred in July. 

Last month, a 6-year-old boy in Detroit shot his infant sibling twice. Also in June, a 3-year-old boy died after he accidentally shot himself in Tennessee, officials said. In May, a 4-year-old girl accidentally shot and killed another child in Illinois, authorities said. Another 4-year-old girl was critically injured after she accidentally shot herself in the head in Georgia; her father had left the loaded gun on the floor of their home, police said.

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• Gun Control