A 12-year-old boy has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of a 9-year-old girl in North Philadelphia.
Police say the girl died after accidentally being shot in the head by her 5-year-old cousin in a home on the 2300 block of N. Bouvier Street on Jan. 20. It’s unclear what role the boy played in the shooting, which authorities said happened when the children were all left alone.
The girl’s father, 39-year-old Blake Davis, was arrested and charged with involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child, corruption of minors and other related offenses.
District Attorney Larry Krasner said several weapons were found inside the home and called the shooting "unacceptable." He added that Davis was prohibited from legally purchasing guns.
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"This tragedy was 100% preventable. Kids should not be allowed unsupervised access to firearms, period,” Krasner said at the time. “We can hold both that a father has suffered a horrific tragedy, and that he is also criminally responsible for this loss."
When police arrived to a report of the shooting, it was one of the children who met them at the door and told officers the 9-year-old had been shot, Philadelphia Police Department Cpl. Jasmine Reilly said.
The girl was rushed to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and was pronounced dead less than two hours later.
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There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
