A Macon 8-year-old who died Sunday in a fatal shooting shot herself while playing with a handgun, authorities told the media Wednesday.
Miracle Brantley’s brother told deputies that his sister shot herself in the head in the Friday incident at a Macon home, according to a Bibb County sheriff’s report obtained by WMAZ-TV.
Miracle’s grandmother, Patricia Reed, told deputies her four grandchildren were at her home while doing schoolwork. Reed said she heard a gunshot shortly before 4 p.m. and found the little girl bleeding in the kitchen at the house in the 2300 block of Ballard Drive, according to a sheriff’s office news release.
The 8-year-old was transported first to a local hospital, but she later was airlifted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Scottish Rite Hospital, according to the news station. She died Sunday morning from her injuries.
The grandmother told police that someone brought a gun into the home without her knowledge. The children were playing with the weapon before the fatal shooting of her granddaughter. The name of the person who brought the gun to the house is redacted from the report and hasn’t been released.
A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conducted in 2017, showed that an average of 1,287 children and adolescents in the U.S. die each year due to gun violence. More than half of firearm deaths, according to the report, were homicides (53%), 38% were suicides and about 6% were unintentional.
Police are investigating, and an autopsy report will confirm how the child shot herself. It’s not yet known if anyone will face criminal charges in the case.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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