Haley Moore of LaPlace, Louisiana, died Saturday after the handgun she was playing with discharged.
A 5-year-old Louisiana girl has died after fatally shooting herself with her father's gun.
Haley Moore of LaPlace was playing with her disabled military veteran's father gun on Saturday when it discharged, wounding her in the chest.
At least one of Haley's siblings witnessed the tragedy, which occurred before 10 a.m.
Haley, who was visiting her father for the weekend as part of her parents' shared custody, was rushed to an area hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Read: Boy, 3, Accidentally Shoots Himself Dead After Finding Gun in Father's Store: Police
"The father said he was taking a shower when he heard a gunshot," Lt. Greg Baker with the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office told CBS affiliate WWL-TV. "He got out of the shower, and that's when he discovered that his daughter had accidentally shot herself."
Detectives said the gun hadn't been securely stored.
However, Moore's neighbor told the Times-Picayune that the devoted father normally took gun safety very seriously.
Read: Man Shoots Himself in the Arm, Realizes It 3 Days Later
Along with a school photo she posted to Facebook of her daughter, Haley's mother Cori wrote following the tragedy:
"RIP Baby Girl MOMMY loves you and will always remember you. YOU WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN…"
St. John Parish School Superintendent Kevin George said counselors would be on hand at the elementary school that Haley attended with her brother and sister to talk to students about the shooting.
In a statement, police declined to provide any additional details of the incident, which they said is "still under investigation."
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