5-year old girl killed, 3-year old boy wounded, by 17-year old brother in Alabama

Teela Anne Murphy, age 5

17-year old Christopher Tyler Smith decided to look through the scope of his loaded hunting rifle near his Fairhope, Alabama home.  Apparently unintentionally, he pulled the trigger.  The bullet hit his 5-year old sister, Teela Anne Murphy, as well as their 3-year old brother, Jayden L. Smith.

Teela later died from her wound.

From an article:

Fairhope police plan to file an assault charge in addition to manslaughter against a teen charged with killing his 5-year-old sister and wounding his 3-year-old brother Thursday night, officials said today.

Christopher Tyler Smith, 17, was arrested following the shooting of Teela Anne Murphy, a Fairhope Elementary kindergartner, and their brother, Jayden L. Smith, 3.

Jayden L. Smith, age 3

Shooter Christopher Tyler Smith, age 17

The two children were playing in the yard of a neighboring trailer when Smith fired a single shot from a .270-caliber hunting rifle that stuck both siblings, according to police.

Smith was released from the Baldwin County Corrections Center on $50,000 bail, according to jail records.

Smith was looking through the rifle’s scope near his own mobile home about 90 yards away from the children when the shot was fired, Sgt. Craig Sawyer said today. Police do not believe Smith intended to shoot the children, Sawyer said.

(a related news video and article)

(a related site)

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

UPDATE (5/11/12):  Jayden is recovering, and is now breathing on his own.