A 4-year-old child in Pennsylvania died after she was shot by her younger brother outside of a gas station on Tuesday morning in Delaware County, according to authorities.
The Chester Police Department told local news station WTXF-TV the girl was inside a car with her 2-year-old brother outside of a gas station when the boy picked up a gun and fatally shot her, according to a Twitter post from reporter Dave Kinchen.
Tuesday's incident is one of the most recent shootings in the U.S. involving a minor. So far in 2022, at least 406 children have been killed and about 966 more have been injured by gun violence, according to the Gun Violence Archive.
The little girl was taken to a nearby medical center but did not survive her injuries. Sources told WTXF that a preliminary investigation indicated that the shooting appeared to be an accident.
Newsweek has not been able to independently verify with the police or the Delaware County District Attorney's Office regarding the details of the shooting.
Images captured at the location of the shooting reported by WTXF showed a gas station on the 900 block of Kerlin Street. There was yellow police tape blocking off the pumps, and police vehicles were on the scene.
It's unclear if anyone has been taken into custody or who the gun belonged to.
Chester was once considered one of the most violent small cities in America, but local statistics have shown a decrease in homicides in recent years. Data from the police department showed there were 35 homicides in 2020, 22 homicides in 2021 and three homicides so far this year, WCAU-TV reported.
Also in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, a student was shot at Erie High School, which was placed on lockdown. Erie police said the student was transported to a hospital and was in good condition, the department posted on Twitter.
"We are devastated and angered by this senseless tragedy, and we are all hoping for the full and speedy recovery of the student involved," Erie Public Schools Superintendent Brian Polito said. "I want to thank district and city police for their very prompt and thorough response."
Other recent shootings involving children include a 3-year-old boy who died on Sunday in Florida from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. In March, a 2-year-old boy in Tennessee accidentally shot himself with a handgun and later died.
In Missouri last week, a 10-year-old fatally shot his brother while he was holding a gun and it accidentally went off. The woman who owned the gun was arrested on suspicion of endangering the welfare of a child.
Newsweek reached out to the Chester Police Department for comment.
Update 04/05/22, 5:16 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
