5-year old girl gets hold of gun and shoots herself to death in South Carolina

Sha'Diamond Graham, age 5

A 5-year old girl, Sha'Diamond Graham, was visiting the home of a friend when they found a loaded, unsecured gun.  One of them discharged the gun, and Sha'Diamond was shot and killed.

From an article:

A 5-year-old Hartsville girl died Sunday night after what appears to be an accidental shooting, according to a press release from the Darlington County Sheriff's Office.

Sha'Diamond Graham died when the gun she was said to have been playing with at a friend's house, fired, according to Darlington County Coroner Todd Hardee.

Details are limited, according to the DCSO release, but it appears to be an accidental shooting.

Darlington County investigators, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and South Carolina Department of Social Services are investigating the shooting death at happened about 7 p.m.

Officials said children were playing in the house (700 block of Mcfarland Street in Hartsville) and found the gun. The gun went off and the 5-year-old was shot. She was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead by Hardee.

From a related article:

Graham's oldest sister, Cameka, says her sister was an upbeat child who had a knack for cheering people up.

"If you were going through something, she felt like she could feel it," Cameka Graham said. "She would tell you 'it'll be okay" or 'it'll be alright'."
....
[Sheriff's Captain] Locklair says this incident underscores the need for gun safety, especially considering the high availability of inexpensive or free gun locks.

To obtain a free gun safety lock for a firearm in your area, click on the link below:
http://www.projectchildsafe.org/safetyKits/

Always ASK about guns where your children play.

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

UPDATE (7/11/12):  A man, Clinton McPhail, has been charged in Sha'Diamond's death.