5-year old New Orleans girl finds mother's gun under pillow and shoots herself to death

A 5-year old girl, Brandajah Smith, was left alone in her home as her mother left to talk to neighbors.  Thats when the little girl found a loaded, unsecured handgun that her mother left under a pillow, which belonged to the mother's felon boyfriend.

Brandajah Smith, age 5

Brandajah discharged the weapon, hitting herself and dying a few hours later.

From an article:

Laderika Smith, 28, faces a charge of second-degree murder, while Leon Warren, 54, was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. 

The Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/12qst4k ) Smith's daughter, Brandajah Smith, shot herself with a .38-caliber handgun on June 23. The little girl found the revolver, which Smith told police was often stashed under a pillow in the bedroom. Smith had locked the child in the house and walked down the street to speak with neighbors. When she returned, she found her daughter who lived for a few hours on life support before succumbing to the injury. 

Police later tested the little girls' hands for gunpowder residue and determined she had pulled the trigger. They said Smith knew the gun was there when she left her in the house alone. 

Hours after the shooting, Warren — who was described as a cousin — admitted keeping the gun, saying he was holding it for a friend, police said.

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