SILVERTON, Ohio — A 5-year-old was taken to Cincinnati Children's Wednesday night after what officials believe to be an accidental shooting in Silverton.
The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office said detectives responded to a home in the 6600 block of Elwynne Drive in Silverton at around 10:15 p.m. Wednesday for a reported shooting. Officials said a 5-year-old girl was believed to have been shot after her 6-year-old brother accidentally discharged a gun.
The child was taken to Cincinnati Children's with serious, but non-life-threatening, injuries.
The shooting remains under investigation, and officials have not disclosed where the gun was located or how the children gained access to it.
The Silverton shooting comes just months after a similar incident in West Price Hill resulted in criminal charges against a father.
In April, 22-year-old Martez Jones was charged with three counts of child endangerment after his 7-month-old daughter was shot by her 5-year-old sibling. According to court documents, Jones left "a loaded and functional handgun on the windowsill of the bedroom" where his three young children were present while he used the bathroom.
The 5-year-old handled the weapon, causing it to fire and strike the infant in the thigh. The child's injuries were not life-threatening.
WATCH: We speak to gun safety advocate Whitney Austin following the shooting in Silverton
Whitney Austin, executive director of Whitney Strong and a gun safety advocate, said her first thoughts are with the little girl and her family and all they will be going through.
Austin founded the organization after being a victim of a shooting at Fifth Third. Austin said she wanted to live and help others do so, too. She emphasized the importance of proper firearm storage, particularly in homes with children.
"The gold standard is if you want to secure your firearm, which you should, if it's not on your person, is to ensure that the firearm is unloaded and locked in a separate location than the ammunition," Austin said. "That puts a lot of speed bumps, if you will, in front of someone trying to gain access."
The Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library system offers free gun locks at all library locations throughout the city and county. Any adult can pick up a free gun lock with no questions asked.
"It's one of the most effective ways we can make sure our loved ones are safe in their home," Austin said.
