Paulding Girl Mistakenly Shoots Self To Death With Unattended Gun

HIRAM, GA — A 4-year-old girl mistakenly fatally shot herself after finding an unattended gun in a Hiram home, and her older brother is facing murder charges in connection with her death, the Paulding County Sheriff's Office said this week.

Deputies responded around 2:45 a.m. Friday to Village Drive home, where they said someone reported the girl had fallen and required medical attention.

After arriving, authorities said deputies saw the girl had an apparent gunshot wound to the head.

"Unfortunately, the child was beyond help and was pronounced deceased by the Paulding County Coroner’s Office early that morning," the sheriff's office said in a news release.

The girl, who has not been identified, retrieved an unattended gun that belonged to her brother and accidentally shot herself, authorities said. The type of gun is unknown.

Authorities identified the brother as 20-year-old Joseph Edwin Hinson, who they said "negligently left the gun unattended."

Hinson was charged on suspicion of second-degree cruelty to children and second-degree murder, authorities said. He was taken to the Paulding County Jail and was being held without bond.

Jail records showed Hinson remained incarcerated Thursday.