Dad left gun in 9-year-old’s room, then 5-year-old is shot dead, AZ officials say

A dad has been indicted after Arizona officials said his 5-year-old daughter was shot with a rifle by a sibling.

In June, Phoenix officers responded to a home after getting reports of a 33-year-old man’s 5-year-old daughter having been shot, according to a Sept. 24 news release by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

She was taken to the hospital where she died from the gunshot wound, officials said.

The girl had been shot by her sibling, “who gained access to an unsecured AR-style rifle” that belonged to the dad, officials said.

The gun was kept in the 9-year-old’s room, prosecutors said.

The man, who was prohibited from owning a firearm, was indicted on charges of child abuse and domestic violence, officials said.

His trial is set for March 5, officials said.

Gun violence in the US

Thousands of people die every year from firearm injuries in the U.S. each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Firearm injuries and deaths continue to be a significant public health problem in the United States,” the CDC said. “In 2022, there were more than 48,000 firearm-related deaths in the United States according to mortality data. That’s about 132 people dying from a firearm-related injury each day.”

Firearm-related injuries were one of the top leading causes of death for people ages 1 to 44 in 2022, the CDC reported.

The impact of gun violence, however, goes beyond the death toll, experts said.

“The effects of firearm violence and injury extend beyond victims and their families,” officials said. “Shooting incidents, including those in homes, schools, houses of worship, or workplaces, shopping areas, on the street or at community events can affect the sense of safety and security of entire communities and impact everyday decisions.”