A 4-year-old girl died after she was accidentally shot by her 3-year-old sister with an unsecured gun found in the bedroom of their apartment in Houston.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office was notified about the shooting incident on Sunday around 7:30 p.m. local time after family members heard the shot, secured the gun, and called 911.

The caller reported ​​a hurt minor at an apartment complex. The 4-year-old girl was pronounced dead at the scene.

The two girls were reportedly at the residence with their mother, stepfather, and three other adults. At some point during the evening, the adults assumed one of the others was monitoring the sisters, who ended up unsupervised in a bedroom.

Harris County authorities believe the 3-year-old was then able to find the loaded semi-automatic pistol and unintentionally shot her sister.

"It just seems like another tragic story of a child gaining access to a firearm and hurting someone else. This time it was a fatal shot, appears to be to her sibling," Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said in a statement.

Gonzalez, who called the shooting a "preventable situation," urged gun owners to take extra precautions to keep their firearms out of a child's reach to avoid dangerous accidents.

"You've got to make sure you're a responsible gun owner. Secure your weapons in a safe place. It's got to be more than just to tell the kids not to touch the weapons," Gonzalez said.

The investigation remains ongoing and officials have not revealed whether any charges will be filed regarding the toddler shooting incident.

Police lights
Representation. The lights of a police car. tevenet/Pixabay
Read more