Harrison County Sheriff Brandon “B.J.” Fletcher said, “It’s very trying to not work this case without emotion,” he said. “Anytime a young person loses their life it’s tragic.”
A Texas father accidentally shot and killed his 11-year-old daughter with a rifle during a hunting trip, while he was clearing the gun's hammer, thinking the firearm wasn't loaded, according to the Harrison County Police Department.
“He had thought he had cleared the gun, but unfortunately, he hadn’t,” Harrison County Sheriff Brandon “B.J.,” Fletcher said.
The girl, identified as Daisy Grace Lynn George, was taken to Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview, Tx. where she died.
At a Monday news conference, Fletcher said the tragic incident took place on Saturday around 5 p.m. The pair had gotten back to their vehicle after an afternoon of hunting at a deer lease near Young and Hickey roads. The father was clearing the hammer of his high-powered rifle and when he tried to drop the hammer, he believed the firearm was unloaded, the Longview News-Journal reported.
Calls to the sheriff’s office came in shortly after the shooting. When Harrison County deputies and emergency personnel arrived they saw the young girl had life-threatening gunshot wounds, the news outlet reported.
An aircraft was requested to transport the girl to the hospital, but due to inclement weather she was transported by EMS and HCSO, Hallsville PD, and the Texas Department of Public Safety, a report said.
According to Fletcher, “the gun went off.” He said the sheriff’s office has no reason to believe the gunshot was not accidental. However, the case will be reviewed by the Harrison County District Attorney’s Office, he said.
The sheriff’s office is also working with the Texas Parks and Wildlife, to conduct the investigation since the death occurred while hunting, a report said.
Fletcher said George’s father was an experienced hunter and this tragedy demonstrates how critical gun safety is. ““It’s very trying to not work this case without emotion. Anytime a young person loses their life it’s tragic," Fletcher said.
He added: “I hope we never see another one like it,” he said.
George was a sixth-grader attending Hallsville Junior High. The school asked students to wear purple on Monday, her favorite color, according to the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office.
Fletcher helped coordinate grief counselors for the students and faculty. He asked people to also wear purple to the Hallsville Christmas Parade on Tuesday, The Longview- News Journal reported.
A GoFundMe page for the family was created. “On November 27 God received an angel whose time was cut very short. Through a hunting accident we lost a very special little girl,” the GoFundMe organizer Deborah George wrote,
“She was always a joker trying to lift everyone’s spirits. She loved to draw her heart out. Daisy loved to be surrounded by the outdoors. Always down for an adventure big or small. Please help us lay this little girl down to rest. Thank you so much for any help.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, more than $14,000 was raised, exceeding their initial goal of $10,000.
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