Police in Colorado have arrested the 24-year-old mother of a young boy who accidentally shot his 3-year-old sister to death Tuesday morning after finding an unsecured firearm.
A statement from the Westminster Police Department confirms Michaela Dawn Harman was charged Tuesday with suspicion of child abuse resulting in death.
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Harman remains in custody on an unspecified bond amount, and information about her attorney was unavailable Wednesday morning.
She hasn’t yet entered a plea to the charge.
The statement says Harman’s 7-year-old son accidentally killed his little sister with a shotgun blast.
According to the statement, dispatchers received a 911 call from Harman’s home shortly after 10 a.m. on Tuesday.
“The investigation is in the preliminary stages, but it appears that two siblings were playing when the older sibling found an unsecured and loaded shotgun,” reads the statement.
“While playing, the older brother tragically shot his three-year old sister,” it continues. “The girl was taken emergent to a trauma center by Westminster Fire Department personnel, but her injuries were so significant she did not survive.”
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Harman and another younger sibling who were at the home when the accident happened were uninjured.
“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,” the statement reads. “Parents have a responsibility to keep children from being able to access firearms, even inside the home.”