5-year old girl nearly killed when shot in head with BB gun by 7-year old brother

It was touch-and-go for 5-year old, named Aye, after she and her 7-year old brother found a pump-action BB rifle in the kitchen of a Hershey, Pennsylvania home.  The brother shot Aye in the head, and the BB penetrated her skull and into her brain.  Adults were home at the time.  Aye almost died, but it looks now like she will survive.

From an article and news video:

Around 6:00 Wednesday night, Louis Martinez's life turned hectic when his seven-year-old grandson shot his five-year-old granddaughter, Aye, in the head with a BB gun. The kids found the gun in the kitchen of their home on Dauphin Street.

Aye was hit in the forehead where police say the BB penetrated her skull and brain. Adults were home when it happened, but no charges have been filed.

“She knows who I am. She knows who my wife is. She knows her father and mother,” explained Martinez. “So she's doing great. How much of a relief is it? I can't even say how much of a relief it is.”

“They should be treated as a regular fire arm,” explained Lancaster Police Lieutenant Jarrad Berkihiser, talking about BB guns. He said the BB gun the kids had was no toy. It could fire a BB nearly 700 feet per second. And there are some that can shoot upward of 1200, almost as fast as a regular bullet.

“People should not be complacent because it's called a BB gun or a pellet gun,” urged Berkihiser. “They can cause serious injury.”

Related articles and videos HERE and HERE.  From the first link:

Lt. Berkihiser says when this happened, the gun was unsecure in the child's home. He says that the BB gun is an air rifle that can fire a BB at 680 feet per second. He says BB and pellet guns aren't toys. He says they are especially dangerous with children who have softer bones than adults.

"Manufacturers do put warnings on their BB guns and pellet guns that they could cause serious injury or even death and this is a prime example," he said. "Just because it's not a regular firearm, you don't need to show ID, you don't need to go through a background check to actually purchase one, they may just leave them lying around and you should be treating them as an actual firearm."

Every gun in the hands of a child must first pass through the hands of an adult.