A 4-year-old girl in Oklahoma has died after an alleged shooting. Currently, not a lot of details have been given about what led to the shooting, but police say it is all still under investigation. Police are saying, however, that it doesn’t appear that the shooting was intentional. No charges have been made, and no suspects have been named, but all of those things could emerge in the coming days and weeks as the police investigation continues.
According to an initial report from KSNF, Afton Police Chief Earnie Shelby said the girl was shot in the chest with a handgun on November 30, 2025. Shelby believes the shooting was accidental. Because of weather conditions, the girl could not be flown to a trauma center. She was instead taken to a hospital in Miami, Oklahoma.
The girl was later identified as Hayzel Jones by authorities, KSN 16 reported.
“Our school community is grieving an unimaginable loss this evening — the passing of an Afton Elementary School student,” Afton Superintendent O. Jay Bowen expressed in a letter to families shared by KSN 16.
“There are no adequate words for a tragedy like this. Our thoughts and prayers are with the student’s friends, family and all who love her,” the letter continued. Bowen added that counselors would be made available for children in need. He also encouraged families to talk to their children about loss.
An obituary for Hayzel says that she was an “animal lover” who had a soft spot for “any animal she could play with, ride, or show.” The little girl apparently collected frogs for her mom to look after, and she showed her pig at the most recent Ottawa County Fair. Her funeral is set for December 5.
An investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
