A 12-year-old girl has been taken into custody after fatally shooting her own cousin during an argument over a mobile phone.
Authorities said the two children began fighting when the girl accused her cousin of taking her device. The quarrel quickly escalated until the girl grabbed a handgun from inside the home and opened fire.
The cousin, also a minor, was struck and died from their injuries before emergency crews could arrive.
Police called the tragedy “entirely preventable,” stressing that unsecured firearms and heated arguments inside the home created a deadly combination.
The girl is now facing charges in juvenile court, and prosecutors have not yet said if they will attempt to move the case into adult court.
The heartbreaking case has ignited debate online, with many blaming gun access while others question how a child so young could resort to deadly violence over something as simple as a phone.
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