Deputy’s Daughter Shoots 8-Year-Old Sister After He Leaves Gun On His Bed [Video]

A deputy’s daughter shot her sister after finding a gun he left on his bed. The 10-year-old girl shot her 8-year-old sister Friday morning with the loaded firearm that was sitting on her father’s bed while he was away for a very short period of time. MSN reports that the incident occurred in Fresno, California.

A deputy with the Madera County Sheriff’s Department said the lieutenant’s handgun was on the bed while he was getting ready for work. When the lieutenant went into the bathroom about 7:48 a.m., his daughters entered the room and the 10-year-old grabbed his gun; one bullet remained in the weapon’s chamber and the magazine had been removed. The girl pulled the trigger and accidentally shot her younger sister.

The girl’s injury is non-life threatening, Fresno Police Lt. Joe Gomez said.

According to the Los Angeles Times, officers arrived at a home in the area of Bullard and Cornelia avenues where the shooting happened. The girl had a gunshot wound in her lower torso and is reportedly in stable condition.

Gomez also has two young daughters and says he’s worried about keeping his service weapons out of reach of them and younger family members. A question asked by Gomez is, “What do you do with your weapon?” In an in-depth, highly cited report by the Fresno Bee, Madera County Sheriff Jay Varney said the unidentified deputy wouldn’t be placed on paid administrative leave.

“I’ve considered the circumstance of what’s happened here and since he wasn’t directly involved with the discharge of the firearm — no, I will not be putting him on administrative leave.”

Varney only shares that “the gun was only left unattended for a short time” before the deputy’s daughter got a hold of the gun and shot her sister. A criminal investigation is being conducted by the Madera County Sheriff’s Office, with which the deputy is said to be fully cooperating. After that, the sheriff’s office will conduct an internal administrative investigation to learn if any department policies were violated.

“If you are going to store your firearm within your home with the ammunition, it has to be outside of the access of anyone under 18,” Varney said.

Gomez said it’ll be up to Fresno County District Attorney’s Office to determine if the deputy will face charges. Gomez let everyone know that the deputy father has the full support of everyone.

“We absolutely support him in this very difficult time — and his family — and what they are going through right now.”

The deputy’s daughter accessing the gun off of his bed and shooting her sister is being treated as a confidential personnel matter, the Madera Sheriff’s Office says. Free gun locks can be obtained from the sheriff’s office or at any of its partner agencies, which reportedly grants them free to residents.

[Photo Credit:ABC 23 News]