An 10-year-old boy was rushed to a Philadelphia hospital Saturday afternoon after he shot himself with a gun, police said.
The shooting took place at 5:56 p.m. inside a home located at 1410 W Pacific St, when according to police, the 10-year old and his 8-year-old sister found a gun inside one of the house's cabinets, and later fired it.
The 8-year-old sister then ran to a neighbors house to call 9-1-1 after her brother shot himself in the head.
The boy was transported to St. Christopher's Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 6:39 p.m.
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It is unknown who owned the gun and if it was legally registered. The kid's father is cooperating with authorities.
"Another one of our precious children has died as the result of gunfire,” said Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw while talking about the importance of keeping guns away from children.
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Neighbors told NBC10 that hearing what happened brought them to tears.
"It is sad, we as a society got to get it together," one of the neighbors told NBC10.
No charges have been filed at this time. An investigation is ongoing.
The boy becomes one of at least 90 minors shot in Philadelphia this year alone, just last week, a 3-year-old toddler was shot when two gunmen got out of a car in the middle of the street and fired at his father and another man. The boy survived, but the father and the other man did not.
So far, the have been at least 264 homicides in Philadelphia in 2021, representing a 35% increase compared to the same period last year.
There are additional resources for people or communities that have endured gun violence in Philadelphia. Further information can be found here.
