A 6-year-old girl from Georgia tragically died this week after being accidentally shot in the head by her 4-year-old brother, according to police reports. The incident occurred at their Paulding County home on Monday.
According to investigators, the mother of Millie Drew Kelly, as identified in media reports, had placed Millie and her younger brother in the car but was unable to start the vehicle. The mother exited the car to investigate the problem. Shortly after leaving the vehicle, she heard a gunshot from inside the car.
“Detectives determined that the 4-year-old male sibling retrieved a handgun from the console of the vehicle and accidentally discharged it, striking his 6-year-old sister in the head, fatally wounding her,” the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. The girl was immediately transported to an Atlanta hospital for treatment. Sadly, she succumbed to her injuries two days later.
Authorities have stated that, at this time, they do not plan to file any charges in connection with the incident. Sheriff Gary Gulledge expressed his condolences, stating, “Our hearts break for this family, and we hope God puts his healing hands around them during this difficult time. 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.”
A GoFundMe page was established to provide financial assistance to the family. As of Friday morning, it had raised over $30,000. An update on the page included the following message:
As Millie’s favorite song proclaims, Who the Son sets free Oh is free indeed I’m a child of God Yes I am. At a young age, she knew without a doubt Jesus is all she ever needed and wanted you to feel the same too. She shared his love, mercy and grace to everyone she met. Millie Drew gave life today by donating her organs to continue to show the love of Jesus, whom she loved with everything that she had. The outpouring of love shown towards the Kelly family from friends and community is exactly what being the hands and feet of Christ is. Please continue to uplift this family in prayer. They are going to need us in the days, weeks and months to come more than ever. Finally, we ask that you go and love others as Millie does! Smile a Millie size smile and hug someone with all you got! Show this world that needs Jesus more than ever what it means to love.
This tragic event serves as a stark reminder of the importance of gun safety and the need to secure firearms properly, especially in households with young children. The community continues to offer support and prayers to the grieving family during this incredibly difficult time. The family’s faith is providing them strength as they navigate this tragedy. God has my heart.
Children are precious and need our protection. Our hearts break for this family.