Georgia girl dies after younger brother accidentally shoots her in the head with handgun inside family car
A six-year-old Georgia girl, who was accidentally shot in the side of her head by her younger brother after he got his hands on a gun stored in her family's car when their mother was not present, has passed away.
According to AJC, Millie Drew Kelly was sitting inside the car parked in the driveway of their home on Laurelcrest Lane in unincorporated Dallas at around 6 pm on Monday, April 8, with her four-year-old brother when her mother got out of the vehicle because it wasn't starting.
At this point, the brother managed to retrieve a gun which the mother, Courtney, had stored in the center console and accidentally discharged it, shooting his older sister in the right side of her head.
Speaking about the incident, Paulding County sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Ashley Henson said, "They were all loaded up to leave the home and the car wouldn’t start. Their mother hopped out to find the source of the problem, and somehow the young boy got hold of a handgun. That is when she heard the shot. As you can imagine, the mom was frantic."
After the shooting, Millie was rushed to a Children's Healthcare of Atlanta location with life-threatening injuries. But despite the best efforts of medical professionals, she could not be saved and was declared dead two days later.
A GoFundMe Page titled 'Team Millie Drew' confirmed the young girl's death and said she "gave life by donating her organs to show the love of Jesus, whom she loved with everything she had." It said Millie "shared His love, mercy, and grace to everyone she met" and asked that wellwishers "continue to uplift this family in prayer."
In cases such as these, law enforcement decides whether or not to pursue charges against parents who leave their children with unattended and unsecured guns. Sgt. Henson said no charges will be filed against Courtney. Speaking to 11 Alive, he explained, "Sometimes, unfortunately, accidents do happen and bad things happen to good people."
In a statement released on Thursday, April 11, Sheriff Gary Gulledge expressed his condolences for the family. "Our hearts break for this family and we hope God puts His healing hands around them during this difficult time," he wrote.
He also had a word of advice for gun owners in the area who happened to have children of their own. "We want to remind everyone to keep their firearms unloaded and secured in an area away from children to ensure that this never happens again," he said.
Angela Crevar, principal at the King's Academy in Woodstock where Millie was studying, said the school had hosted a prayer vigil for the family and that they would provide counselors to students if needed. She also said groups of parents, teachers, and faculty members are "ministering to the family’s immediate and physical needs."
The GoFundMe page has raised over $34,000 of a possible $25,000 goal in just three days at the time of writing.