A three-year-old girl has tragically died after she was accidently shot at her US home by a five-year-old boy.
The youngster was killed was unintentionally killed by the boy who was from the same "household" in Bena, Minnesota, in the early hours of the morning last Friday, said Cass County Sheriff's Office.
The gun was fired by a five-year-old boy, whose relationship to the little girl has not yet been disclosed.
She was rushed to Deer River Hospital by family members, but was intercepted by the Deer River Ambulance on the way, and medics immediately began lifesaving efforts.
The little girl was pronounced dead at the hospital and an autopsy is pending with the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office.
State law says that children under the age of 14 are "incapable of committing crime," therefore the boy cannot be charged in the shooting.
Cass County Sheriff Tom Burch confirmed the incident was an "accidental gunfire".
He said that just before 4am, "deputies responded and learned that a juvenile female, aged three, had been shot by accidental gunfire by a juvenile male, aged five, in the household."
An autopsy is pending with the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office, and an investigation is ongoing, Burch said. It remains unclear whether criminal charges will be filed in connection with the incident.
Data from Gun Violence Archives shows that at least 196 children up to the age of 11 have died from gun-related incidents in 2021.
There have also been an estimated 239 "unintentional shootings" by children, according to data from Everytown.
