Texas toddler finds gun and fatally shoots 4-year-old sister in tragic (and preventable) accident

The recent spate of news stories on small children handling guns did nothing to prevent a tragic accident in Texas. Two young children were playing in an apartment in Houston yesterday where five adults were hanging out, when the three-year-old got her hands on a loaded, accessible, semiautomatic gun. And yep, the toddler allegedly shot her four-year-old sister, who died from her injuries.

From CNN:

A 3-year-old girl fatally wounded her 4-year-old sister in an unintentional shooting in Texas, Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said.

"This basically involves a 3-year-old and a 4-year-old," Gonzalez said. "The 3-year-old is the alleged shooter. It appears to be unintentional." …

The 3-year-old got hold of a loaded semiautomatic pistol, Gonzalez said. The family heard a gunshot and ran into the room, where they found the 4-year-old girl unresponsive on the floor. …

The sheriff said the investigation is ongoing and noted that, in situations like this, it is "very likely" that someone faces charges for failing to secure the weapon.