A 24 year old man is facing multiple charges after a The 7-year-old girl was shot dead at a home in the Juniata Park section of Philadelphia.
Police said Monday that Alan Nguyen was arrested following the shooting on Sunday, Nov. 3, and charged with involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child and recklessly endangering another person after the child was shot at around 2:30 p.m. the face was shot.
Investigators said they believe the young girl accidentally shot herself after finding the gun, or was shot by a 2-year-old child inside the home on the 3800 block of I Street.
“It was a tragic accident based on the information we have so far. It does not appear to have been intentional in any way,” said Inspector DF Pace.
The 7-year-old was taken to St. Christopher’s Hospital on Sunday afternoon, where she was pronounced dead.
After the shooting, Pace said there were two adults in the home at the time of the incident, along with three small children. He said at least two of the children were in an upstairs bedroom and the adults were downstairs when the shooting occurred.
The gun was recovered from the scene of the shooting and police said the gun’s owner and the homeowner were arrested. Police did not specify whether Nguyen owned the gun or the home.
In a series of social media posts, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said her office “will keep this child’s family and community in prayers in the days and weeks ahead” as she urged gun owners to dispose of their firearms responsibly method to lock.
“First, limit access to firearms in the home by securing and storing them safely – and especially if a child or children are present,” she wrote. “Second, get a free gun lock by going to http://Templesafetynet.org, or http://Phillysheriff.com at (215) 686-3572.”
According to court documents, Nguyen is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on the charges on Monday, November 18.
