12-Year-Old Girl Accidentally Shot In Bristol: Police

BRISTOL BOROUGH, PA — A 12-year-old girl from Bristol was hospitalized after accidentally shooting herself, according to police.

Bristol Borough Police said Tuesday that officers responded to Lower Bucks Hospital, where they'd received a report of the girl with a gunshot wound to the hand. The incident happened on Lincoln Avenue, where police say the girl was handling a loaded handgun that she thought was unloaded.

She was transferred to St. Christopher's Hospital for Children for additional treatment, police said. Police continued to investigate Tuesday morning.

In light of the shooting, police were urging firearm owners to be vigilant about securing their guns, especially when children are around. The Bristol Borough Police Department takes part in Ben's Campaign, a program through which they provide free gun locks.

The locks can be picked up at Bristol Borough Police headquarters, at 250 Pond St., during normal business hours.