MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A 14-year-old girl is recovering after her brother is accused of shooting her and then himself Saturday night.
Tragedy filled the parking lot of a Whitehaven apartment complex off Tulane Road.
Memphis Police said a 12-year-old boy shot his 14-year-old sister before turning the gun on himself. Investigators said two other people at the home were able to escape the shooting.
Police provided an update Monday, saying the girl was still listed in critical condition, but was stable. They have not told us what led up to the shooting. It’s also unclear how the boy got his hands on a gun.
No one has been charged in the case.
This tragedy comes on the heels of calls for changes with gun laws in the state of Tennessee.
Last week, Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris was one of four mayors in the state to pen a letter to the governor calling for changes to reduce gun violence.
Harris highlighted the importance of safe storage.
“We’ve got way more guns than the number of individuals that live in our state and so each one of those guns has to be attended to,” he said. “We’ve got to have safe storage of those guns and we’ve got to make sure those guns don’t fall into the wrong hands.”
He also cited the number of children accidentally shot in Shelby County.
“One of the highest in the state, one of the highest in the country. The way you do something about that is really raise awareness about the importance of safe storage,” said Harris.
You can get a free gun lock in the mail for free from Shelby County government. You can send a request here.
Memphis Police also offers them at precincts as well.