A heartbreaking event unfolded yesterday in Fallbrook, where a 3-year-old child unintentionally shot and killed their 1-year-old sister using an unsecured handgun at their family home.

San Diego County Sheriff's Deputies reported to a call about a shooting at 7:30 am that fateful day, soon learning that a 3-year-old had gained access to an unsecured firearm and accidentally fired it at their 1-year-old sister, inflicting a head injury, as reported in the USA Today. The young girl was quickly taken to Palomar Hospital, but sadly, she was pronounced dead an hour later. The authorities have not yet released the names of the children due to their age and privacy concerns for their family.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department is currently investigating the events that led to the tragic shooting and has mentioned that there are "no outstanding suspects" and no threats to the community per ABC 10 News. The San Diego County Medical Examiner's Office is charged with conducting an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of the child's death. The situation remains under investigation, with more details yet to emerge about how the young child obtained the unsecured gun and whether any adults, such as the children's parents, were in the home at the time of the shooting.

While the details of this particular case are still under investigation, it serves as an urgent call for increased vigilance among gun owners and the public at large about the potential dangers posed by the presence of unsecured firearms in households with young children.