A nine-year-old boy has been accused of shooting his sister in the back of the head during an argument over a console controller.
According to Monroe County Sheriff Cecil Cantrell, deputies were called to the home at 1pm on Saturday where they learnt that the boy had allegedly grabbed a gun when his 13-year-old sister reused to hand over the controller.
The sheriff told local media in Mississippi the bullet went 'through the girl's brain'.
The children's mother was in another room feeding her other kids when the incident happened. The sheriff added that they are unsure how the boy was able to gain access to the gun, which is reported to have been a .25 caliber handgun.
The teenage girl was rushed into Le Bonheur's Children Hospital where she later died as a result of her injuries. She has since been named as Dijonae White.
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Speaking to USA Today, Sheriff Cantrell said: "He's just 9. I assume he's seen this on video games or TV.
"I don't know if he knew exactly what this would do. I can't answer that. I do know it's a tragedy."
The case is currently under investigation with Sheriff Cantrell saying he does not yet know what consequences the boy faces, adding that he has never had a case involving such a young shooter.
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He told USA Today: "This is all new ground for us, we've never dealt with a kid shooting a kid at age nine.
"We don't know yet what kind of charges or if charges will be pressed. We want to make sure we're doing everything correctly.
"That's why I'm not too fast to say anything because there are juveniles involved. We want to do what's right and we're going to get it right."
Local media reported one family member
describing the teenager as a 'great girl', while neighbours expressed their
shock at the shooting.
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The Sheriff asked for people to send their thoughts and prayers to the family as they come to terms with what has happened.
Sources: Clarion Ledger; Sky News; USA Today
Featured Image Credit: PA