Boy shoots little girl in the eye with pistol

A six-year old girl from Walvis Bay is being treated in the Katutura State Hospital for a gunshot wound, after she was accidentally shot in the eye by a ten year-old boy in Kuisebmond on Friday afternoon. The boy was playing with his father’s pistol, when a shot went off.
The father is facing a charge of negligent handling of a firearm, as the gun was in his possession at the time of the incident.
The shooting incident was confirmed to namib times by Deputy Commissioner Ottilie Kashuupulwa, regional crime investigations co-ordinator for Erongo. “The little girl lost her left eye. She is still in hospital. She is stable, although the bullet is yet to be removed,” Kashuupulwa explained.
According to her the ten-year old boy who shot the girl and two friends, a nine-year old boy and the victim, went to his parental home to watch television.
“The father allegedly left them at the house and went out to sea,” Kashuupulwa explained.
While the three kids were watching television, the boy got hold to a key of the safe where the firearm is kept. He removed the pistol.
“While he was playing with the pistol, trying to remove the magazine, a shot went off and struck the little girl in the eye,” Kashuupulwa continued. The incident occurred at about 19:00.
The little girl was rushed to Walvis Bay hospital and shortly thereafter transferred to Katutura State Hospital in Windhoek. “A child is not supposed to get hold of a gun or get access to the safe,” Kashuupulwa said.
The father of the boy and owner of the pistol will therefore face a charge of negligent handling of a firearm.
Kashuupulwa could not yet say if the firearm was licensed as this forms part of the police investigation.