JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 6-year-old girl found shot early Thursday morning at a Lake Forest home died at the hospital and Jacksonville police are trying to figure out who fired the gun.
Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Lt. J.D. Stronko said police were called to a home on Linda Drive off Lem Turner Road just before 7 a.m. after a person was shot. They found the girl with a gunshot wound to the head. She was taken by paramedics to a hospital, where she died from her injuries.
Investigators are speaking to family members and trying to gather more information. For now, JSO is investigating it as an undetermined death.
Stronko said the child’s mother and two other children were home at the time of the shooting. The other children’s ages were not released.
It’s unclear how she was shot or who was holding the gun at the time, but it appears the gun that shot her belonged to her parent, Stronko said.
“Homicide detectives are called on cases like this where you have a death on the person,” said News4Jax crime and safety expert Ken Jefferson. “They’re not necessarily investigating it as a homicide right now.”
Jefferson says if it’s determined a parent was negligent with a gun, they could be charged.
“You should keep it under lock and key when you have small children in your house,” he said. “This is a very delicate situation -- talking about a 6-year-old and a gun.”
According to News4Jax records, at least 30 children and teenagers have been shot in Jacksonville this year, and seven have died -- ranging in age from 6 to 17.
Anyone with information about Thursday’s shooting is asked to call JSO at 904-630-0500 or CrimeStoppers at 1-866-845-TIPS.