9-Year-Olds Were Playing With A Gun, One Accidentally Killed The Other

A 9-year-old boy was accidentally shot and killed by his cousin while playing with a gun in Houston, Texas, on Wednesday afternoon.

Police said the incident took place at Montebella Apartments on West 34th Street where two children of the same age were playing with the gun when it went off. They received a call saying that someone was shot and CPR was being performed. When an officer reached the scene, they found the boy with gunshot wounds to his arm and chest. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to injuries.

Investigators are now trying to determine if any adults were present when the incident took place and how the boy’s cousin got his hands on the gun. The Harris County District Attorney's Office will determine whether the parents or guardians would be charged, ABC 13 reported.

Police said the cousin cannot be charged because he is below the age of 10.

Lt. Larry Crowson with the Houston Police called it a "tragic accident” and said the gun was legally purchased, Chron reported.

In a similar incident in December, a six-year-old girl was accidentally shot and killed by her 12-year-old brother while their parents were attending a Christmas party in Florissant, Missouri. The boy found a 9-mm handgun in a dresser drawer in his parents' bedroom and shot his sister, Maliyah Palmer, in the head. Officers responded to the scene and took the girl to a nearby hospital where she succumbed to injuries.

"You couldn't have written a more tragic script, the whole thing is just so tragic and terrible, but we have to put our personal feelings aside and do the law enforcement side of this," Police Chief Timothy Lowery said. "All of the officers who responded to the scene are mothers and fathers, so you can only imagine how personal it is to see a child shot in the back of the head. We will have counselors here for a debriefing hopefully this week to make sure the mental state of our officers is OK.”

No charges were filed against the boy as he "accidentally discharged a round,” killing the girl.