Richland deputies investigating after 3-year-old dies from reportedly shooting herself

The Richland County Sheriff’s Department is investigating an incident in which a 3-year-old girl reportedly shot herself accidentally Friday and later died.

At 9:25 p.m., deputies were called to the 2400 block of Blue Ridge Terrace, near Forest Heights Elementary School in northern Richland County, about a shooting involving a child. When they arrived, a person told deputies that the girl had “accidentally shot herself,” according to a statement by the department.

The child had already been taken to the hospital when deputies arrived. She died in the hospital.

The sheriff’s department has not released additional information, including the name of the child or the circumstances surrounding the shooting. The incident is under investigation, and more details will be released later, the department said.

David Travis Bland

The State

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David Travis Bland is The State’s editorial editor. In his prior position as a reporter, he was named the 2020 South Carolina Journalist of the Year by the SC Press Association. He graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2010. Support my work with a digital subscription