San Diego

Child Accidentally Shot by Cousin While Playing in RV: SDSO

The family was packing up in preparation for a trip when the two children, unsupervised in an RV, got a hold of a gun.

A 12-year-old girl was accidentally shot by her 12-year-old cousin as the two played in an RV in the driveway of a Fallbrook home Friday afternoon.

San Diego County Sheriff's Department Lt. Ricardo Lopez said the two children were in the RV while adults were inside the home on the 900 block of Santa Margarita Drive, north of E. Mission Road.

The adults heard a gunshot and ran outside to find the girl suffering from a gunshot wound near her left clavicle, Lopez said. They immediately called 911.

“I heard the little girl screaming, ‘I don't want to die I don't want to die,’” said neighbor Mark Hutchison, who ran over from across the street before deputies arrived.

According to Lopez, the victim's grandmother and at least one set of parents of the children were inside.

Lopez said the boy who pulled the trigger was traumatized and distraught and didn't expect the gun to go off.

The girl was conscious, alert and sitting upright when deputies arrived, according to Lopez.

“The female was in a little bit of shock when deputies arrived but they were able to calm her down," he said.

Neighbor Angela Yendes, a registered nurse, ran from her home two doors down and helped calm the little girl.

"I knew that she needed to calm down. The more her heart races, the more she’s going to have problems," Yendes said. "Your instincts kick in and you go into work mode and you stay focused."

At least four deputy SUV's were seen outside the home. Deputies were seen investigating the RV parked in the driveway. The SDSO says the gun involved, a 9mm handgun that belonged to the children's uncle, has been safely recovered.

A medevac helicopter landed at a nearby baseball field and left a short time later with the girl on board. Lopez said the girl was life-flighted to Rady Children's Hospital because of her age.

Lopez said investigators are looking into how the gun it was stored and whether or not the RV was locked. Depending on the circumstances, the owner of the weapon could be charged with negligent storage of a firearm leading to injury, Lopez said.

Santa Margarita Drive was blocked off by deputies at Dolstra Lane and Box Canyon Road to the north and at Porter Street to the south.

The scene is about a block north of the Fallbrook Public Utility District building on E. Mission Road.

North County Fire Protection District personnel also responded.

No other information was available.

Please refresh this page for updates on this story. Details may change as more information becomes available.

Contact Us