WESTMINSTER, Colo. — A 7-year-old boy playing with an unsecured shotgun accidentally shot and killed his 3-year-old sister inside a home Tuesday morning, according to a release from the Westminster Police Department.
The mother of the victim, 24-year-old Michaela Dawn Harman, was arrested on suspicion of child abuse resulting in death.
Police received the 911 call around 10:21 a.m. Officers were dispatched to the home on Moore Circle near 107th Avenue soon after.
Police arrived and found the girl suffering significant injuries from the shotgun blast. Paramedics rushed her to a nearby trauma center, but her injuries were so significant she did not survive.
Police said Harman and another younger sibling were at the home when the accident happened.
The 24-year-old mother was booked at the Westminster Police Department and will be transported to the Jefferson County Jail. The children are temporarily in the care of Jefferson County Human Services, police said.
Police are reminding gun owners who have children in their homes to keep firearms and ammunition securely stored separately.
