Police issued a reminder after a teen girl from Washington, DC, allegedly shot and killed herself by accident. We talk a lot about younger kids getting their hands on guns and accidentally killing themselves or others. But it can still happen with kids who are older and should seemingly know better. The girl was messing around with the gun when it went off, which was a surprise. While it is currently being handled as an accident, police are still investigating how the teen was in possession of the gun in the first place.
Authorities responded to a report of a shooting around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 21, 2025, NBC Washington reported. Lifesaving measures were taken, but the 14-year-old girl succumbed to her injuries.
“The preliminary investigation indicates the girl was handling a firearm while recording a video for social media when the weapon discharged, striking her in the upper body,” police said in a statement. The girl has not been identified.
After the initial investigation, police learned there were multiple people in the house at the time of the incident. At least one of those people was an adult. Police recovered the gun, but don’t know how the girl got it. Currently, they’re investigating it as an “accidental shooting.”
“I pray for the parents of that individual. God should give them strength, because I’m sure, they are tired of guns,” Wokie Jones, a tenant of the building where the incident occurred, told Fox 5 DC.
Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela A. Smith also released a statement about the girl’s death. “This is a devastating reminder of the dangers of weapons getting into the hands of young people in our city,” she said.
“Firearms are not toys or props and they must be properly secured in a place where they can only be accessed by lawful gun owners.”
