A group of friends, who were hanging out together, got hold of a gun in the house and a single bullet was accidentally fired, according to police

NEED TO KNOW

• A Pennsylvania teen has been charged with third-degree murder after a 14-year-old girl was killed in an accidental shooting in a home in Upper Darby on Thursday, May 14
• A group of teens, who were hanging out together, got hold of a gun in the house, according to police
• The gun went off, and a single bullet was fired, striking the victim in the head

A Pennsylvania teen has been charged with third-degree murder after a 14-year-old girl was killed in an accidental shooting.

Upper Darby Police Department (UDPD) officers responded to a 911 call of a person suffering from a gunshot wound at a residence on the 100 block of Springton Road on Thursday, May 14, they announced on social media. Upon arrival, officers located a person with a single gunshot wound. The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

At the time, the UDPD said that there was no threat to the community related to the incident and that they were "aware of the people who were at the scene and working with family members."

In an update shared on Friday, May 15, the UDPD said that, after an extensive investigation, they had filed charges in connection with the incident. The suspect — identified as a 14-year-old boy by local outlets Fox 29, 6 ABC and CBS News — was charged as an adult with third-degree murder, per police.

Upper Darby Police Superintendent Timothy Bernhardt told 6 ABC that investigators believe a group of friends, who included two boys and two girls, were hanging out at the home when the fatal shooting occurred. Bernhardt said the group got hold of a gun in the house, and it went off while they were playing with it in an upstairs bedroom.

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The superintendent said a single bullet was fired, striking the victim in the head.

"What we do know is that it wasn't like this was an act of violence, it wasn't like this was a fight, it wasn't a dispute," Bernhardt told 6 ABC.

According to a criminal complaint, obtained by the outlet, the 14-year-old boy allegedly told detectives that he knew the victim's mother, who was at work at the time, kept a handgun in her bedroom closet. The group took the gun and went into the victim's bedroom, where the accidental shooting occurred.

A witness told police she heard the boy allegedly say, "Oh, my God, I just killed her!" per the complaint.

Neighbors of the victim's family called Thursday's shooting incident a "terrible tragedy" while speaking with Fox 29.

"Terrible tragedy to get a call when you are at work about your daughter," said Sheryle Williams Barnes. "It's crazy. Never want that to happen to anyone."

Another neighbor, Aspara Agyeman, said, "Any time a young person loses their life, it's a sad occasion, anytime for any reason. Today was a sad day, not only for the family but for the community as a whole, as a community on this block."

While speaking with 6 ABC, Bernhardt emphasized the importance of safely securing firearms.

"There's no redo when it comes to guns. Once a life is taken, it cannot be taken back," he said.

"Kids need to realize guns are not toys," the police superintendent continued. "A bad decision, a careless moment has forever changed the lives of our victim's family, those three other juveniles that were there, their families and our entire community."

For more information on safe firearm storage and the most effective ways to protect children from unsecured firearms, visit BeSMARTforkids.org.

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