12-year old South Carolina girl unintentionally shot and killed by 15-year old boy

12-year old Hope Alexandria Fair (source)

A 12-year old girl, Hope Alexandra Fair, and a 15-year old boy found a loaded handgun in the girl's
grandfather's vehicle and started playing with it.  The boy then unintentionally discharged the weapon, hitting Hope in the head and killing her.  The boy initially lied about what happened until police were able to piece together the events.

From an article and news video:

The shooter called the local police and falsely reported he was outside and heard a shot and walked into the home to find Hope Alexandra Fair dead on the floor. Then a second call came in from Fair’s friend, telling police that the boy was holding the gun when Fair was shot in the head. The boy told several versions of the event to police before finally admitting he was the one holding the weapon when it went off. 

Lt. Jawarski Shelton reported, “Eventually, he admitted that he was actually holding the gun when it fired and that he was actually loading a magazine into the weapon. When he pulled the slide back, the gun fired.”  

After searching a nearby wooded area, on Monday morning police found the pistol used in the shooting. The weapon had been taken from the boy’s grandfather’s truck without permission. 

The victim’s mother, Michelle Fair, cried as she talked about her daughter and the accident. “She was strong. She was creative. She was definitely one of a kind. She was so beautiful.” Fair added, “I know it was an accident, and he’ll have to pay for that accident for a long time. I feel sorry for them. I feel sorry for him. I’ll lose my daughter forever. They’re going to lose their kid for a long time, too.”

The article does not indicate whether the gun owner will be held responsible.

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