EDMONDS — A 5-year-old girl sustained minor injuries after being hit with a bullet in an unintentional shooting on Friday, according to the Edmonds Police Department.
Her father, 36, was reportedly putting the gun away when it discharged. The bullet went through the wall and struck her in the arm. She was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle for treatment and released soon after.
Mayor Mike Nelson was saddened to hear about the incident, he said in a statement Monday. The incident follows another Edmonds shooting in September, at Boo Han Market along Highway 99.
In that shooting, a 20-year-old woman, Thanh Vy Ly, was killed. Two others were injured, including the alleged shooter’s estranged wife. Duy Phuong Nguyen, 27, has been charged with first-degree murder with a firearm and two counts of first-degree assault.
“I do not believe that accidents just happen, nor that domestic violence homicides are not preventable,” Nelson said. “Gun violence and harm are preventable and pose a clear and present danger to every community.”
The girl was injured around 2:30 p.m Friday. Her mother and two other children were home at the time in the 18900 block of 86th Place W, a news release said.
Officers referred a charge of unlawful discharge of a firearm to the city prosecutor for review. Nelson said he plans to start working with the police department on strategies to prevent gun violence.
In a statement, he said: “This will include community-based gun safety programs, disarming domestic violence abusers with such tools as Extreme Risk Protection Orders, and lobbying our State Legislature to mandate gun-safety training, as well as to enact legislation that would give local governments the authority to put stronger laws into place that better protect our communities.”
The Edmonds Police Department reminds everyone to always handle guns with the presumption they are loaded — to only place your finger on the trigger when necessary to shoot, to always point it in a safe direction and to know your target and what is beyond it.
Stephanie Davey: 425-339-3192; sdavey@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @stephrdavey.
Help available
If you or a loved one is experiencing domestic violence, Domestic Violence Service of Snohomish County is there to help. Free and confidential services are available. Call 425-25-ABUSE (425-252-2873) or visit www.dvs-snoco.org.
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