A 14-year-old girl in Washington, D.C., tragically died after accidentally shooting herself while filming a video for social media, according to police. What was supposed to be just another moment captured for the internet ended in unthinkable loss—and now authorities are urging families to take gun safety more seriously than ever.
The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPD) said the incident happened around 5:09 p.m. on May 21. Officers were called to an apartment in Northeast D.C. after reports of a shooting came in.
When they arrived, they found the teenage girl with a gunshot wound. Despite attempts to save her life, the girl didn’t survive, the department confirmed.
“This is a devastating reminder of the dangers of weapons getting into the hands of young people in our city, and our hearts go out to the family and friends of the decedent,” Chief of Police Pamela A. Smith said in a statement. “Firearms are not toys or props and they must be properly secured in a place where they can only be accessed by lawful gun owners.”
According to police, early findings suggest the teen was holding a gun and recording a video when the firearm accidentally discharged. The bullet struck her in the upper body.
There were multiple people in the apartment at the time of the incident, including at least one adult, police said. The gun used has since been recovered, but details on who owned it or how the teen got access to it haven’t been made public yet.
This kind of tragedy isn’t as rare as many might think. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tracks unintentional gun deaths involving children, and the numbers are sobering. In 2023 alone, 143 individuals aged 19 and under died from accidental firearm injuries.
Even more concerning, a CDC study from the same year found that about three-quarters of unintentional child gun deaths between 2003 and 2021 happened when the firearm was stored loaded and unlocked.
This case hits especially hard because it echoes a growing pattern—kids and teens gaining access to guns in homes where they aren’t stored securely. Add in the pressures of social media and the desire to create content that stands out, and you have a deadly mix.
Authorities haven’t released the girl’s name, and the investigation is still ongoing. But what’s clear is that this was a completely preventable loss. It’s the kind of heartbreaking situation that could be avoided with better education, secure gun storage, and a serious shift in how firearms are viewed in everyday life.
This story is a harsh wake-up call. Guns don’t belong in the hands of teens, especially not as props for videos. As Chief Smith emphasized, they need to be locked up and kept away from curious hands—before another young life is lost too soon.
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