CLE ELUM — A Snohomish County girl died from an accidental gunshot while target shooting north of Cle Elum over Memorial Day weekend, according to the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office.
Sydnie Lynne Darnell and her mother were visiting the mother’s boyfriend Sunday afternoon, the local sheriff’s office reported. Sydnie had been shooting a .22-caliber lever-action rifle around 12:30 p.m. on Sandy Ridge Road, when she set down the gun to check the target. Her mother’s boyfriend, 52, saw the loaded gun still had the hammer cocked.
The man tried to lower the hammer to make it safe, according to the sheriff’s office. But the gun went off as Sydnie walked in the path of the bullet. She was shot in the head.
Her mother called 911. Her boyfriend performed CPR. A helicopter flew her to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. She was taken off life support Monday. She was 12.
In a statement, Undersheriff Clay Myers urged compassion for the grieving family.
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