Philadelphia Police Investigating After 4-Year-Old Girl Fatally Shot In City's Parkwood Neighborhood
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Police are investigating after gunfire claimed the life of a 4-year-old girl in Northeast Philadelphia Tuesday morning. Police say they did not know about this shooting in the city's Parkwood neighborhood until staff members at Jefferson Torresdale Hospital called and reported it.
There were two scenes, the family car that got the little girl to the hospital and a home on the 2900 block of Secane Drive where police believe the shooting took place.
Police are searching the home for clues because there are a lot of questions surrounding the tragedy.
Police confirm the young girl lived inside the home with family.
The four adults that were inside the home are currently being interviewed -- the girl's mother, father and another man and woman.
Officials were notified just before midnight that the 4-year-old victim was taken to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital by her mother and uncle. She was suffering a gunshot wound to the stomach.
Doctors were unable to save the girl and she was pronounced dead at 12:13 a.m.
"I just heard the screaming and then all the cops out here," neighbor Maureen Picuzzi said. "It's messed up, and that little boy is going to grow up wondering what happened to his sister. It's tragic."
Police arrived at the house to find what led to the shooting.
"Police went to the location and found a blood trail leading from the front door of the property and we did get information that the girl lived at the location where the blood trail was. At this time we believe the shooting took place inside the property," Chief Insp. Scott Small said.
Police recovered a .357 revolver from the living room sofa. They say the firearm was loaded with five rounds and one spent cartridge casing was found.
Neighbors are still wrapping their heads around how this could have happened.
"It's very upsetting. She was just a baby so I don't even know what happened," Picuzzi said.
No one has been formally charged but police say it is highly unlikely the child shot herself.
CBS3's Crystal Cranmore and Alecia Reid contributed to this report.
