Mom arrested after her son, 7, accidentally shoots dead his toddler sister
A MOM has been arrested after her son, seven, accidentally shot and killed his three-year-old sister in Colorado.
Michaela Harman, who was at home during the horrific shooting, was taken into custody for alleged child abuse resulting in death, say Westminster Police Department.
The cops said in a press release: "It is with tremendous sadness that we report today [April 21] at 10.21am the Westminster Police received a 911 call regarding a three-year old girl who was shot inside her home.
"It appears that two siblings were playing when the older sibling (seven-years old) found an unsecured and loaded shotgun.
"While playing, the older brother tragically shot his three-year old sister."
The toddler was rushed to a trauma center, but "her injuries were so significant she did not survive.
"Their mother, Michaela Dawn Harman and another younger sibling were at the home when the accident happened," the police added.
She was arrested for child abuse resulting in death – criminal negligence, a class 3 felony.
Harman was booked and later transferred to the Jefferson County Jail.
Her kids are temporarily in the care of Jefferson County Human Services, the cops said.
The forced added: "Tragic examples like this remind us of the importance to separate guns and ammunition kept in the home and to secure firearms in a locked safe or utilize other child proof safety devices.
"Parents have a responsibility to keep children from being able to access firearms, even inside the home."
Guns and coronavirus lockdown
After the toddler's death and her mom's arrest was posted on social media, one mother urged fellow parents to "please lock up your guns".
A moms' group, , has warned that "with millions of kids at home, we must make sure firearms are stored securely."
Its website points out that the coronavirus pandemic "has created new challenges for parents.
"Kids are out of school and spending more time at home.
"The boredom and isolation they may be feeling pose additional risks to their safety.
"Securing all guns in the home - storing them locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition - can save your child’s life."
Close to "4.6 million American children live in homes with guns that are both loaded and unlocked", the group says.
Toddlers 'most common victims'
In 2016, a joint investigation by the Associated Press and the USA Today Network found that an accidental shooting kills a child every other day in America.
Curious toddlers find unsecured, loaded handguns in their homes and vehicles, and fatally shoot themselves and others.
Meanwhile, teens, often showing off guns to their friends and siblings, end up shooting them instead, the investigation found.
The study also revealed that deaths and injuries spike for children under five, with three-year-olds the most common shooters and victims among young children.
Accidental shootings spike again for ages 15-17, when victims are most often fatally shot by other children but typically survive self-inflicted gunshots.
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The accidents most often happen at the children’s homes, with handguns legally owned by adults for self-protection.
And they are more likely to occur on weekends or around holidays such as Christmas.
The study added that States in the South, including Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Georgia, are among those with the highest per capita rates of accidental shootings involving minors.