Police: 4-year-old girl dies after apparent accidental shooting outside of convenience store

By Alecia Reid

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    CHESTER, Pennsylvania (KYW) — Police say a 4-year-old girl is dead after an apparently accidental shooting outside of a Delaware County convenience store. Authorities believe a 2-year-old was the one holding the gun when it went off.

It happened outside of the Eagle Save Mart on the 900 block of Kerlin Street in Chester on Tuesday.

The family lives in the area and is known to frequent the store.

People nearby heard a single gunshot from inside the vehicle, which was parked at a gas pump.

The 4-year-old was rushed to Crozer-Chester Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead.

Loved ones gathered outside of the hospital Tuesday afternoon waiting on an update on the girl’s condition and became emotional after officials confirmed her death.

Chester police say the vehicle was parked at a gas pump at the Eagle Save Mart just after 10 a.m. Tuesday. Witnesses say the children’s father was outside of the car when, according to officials, a 2-year-old boy was handling a gun inside of the car and it discharged.

The bullet struck a 4-year-old girl who was also sitting inside.

People on the scene immediately rushed her to the hospital, which is just over a half-mile away from the scene.

Witnesses struck by the tragedy say the children were always with their dad.

“It was a morning ritual, I’d see them every morning,” Theodore Thaddeus Crump said. “He was a good dude. He went to work everyday. He kept his kids right there beside him. It’s the number one thing that he did, OK. Their dad was a very beautiful man.”

The investigation remains active and ongoing.

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