Police: Florida girl, 9, accidentally shoots 8-year-old brother


DeLand, Florida, police say an 8-year-old boy was critically injured when his 9-year-old sister accidentally shot him with a gun.

Police were called to the home about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. The boy's sister got her parents' gun and fired, police said. The gun went off and struck the 8-year-old, police said.

Doctors at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children are trying to save the boy, who is in critical condition.

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"What we know right now is that there were five children under the age of 10 home alone in the house," said Sgt. Chris Estes of the DeLand Police Department.

DeLand police said they trying to find out how the children were able to gain access to a loaded gun.

Police said a 19-year-old and a 15-year-old were supposed to be baby-sitting the five children, but they left to go to a store near the home. That is when the incident occurred, police said.

"Keep your firearm secure and out of the reach of children," Estes said.

Police said they did not know if the Department of Children and Families would be brought in to investigate.

The names of those involved have not been released.