DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — Over the last few weeks, Channel 2 Action News has reported on several young children dying after being accidentally shot across metro Atlanta.
Channel 2′s Ashli Lincoln found that not only are those cases increasing in the metro, they’re increasing in Georgia and across the country.
According to advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety, there have been at least 259 unintentional shootings by children.
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The latest child victim of this gun violence is 14-year-old Kyra Scott, according to family.
They say Scott died at a Douglasville gas station after being shot over the weekend.
“She was not only a beauty, she was a joy,” said an immediate family member who didn’t want to be identified. “It’s still shocking, it’s still like you’re in the twilight zone.”
She says the Lithia Springs High School student’s mother was trying to rush her to the hospital after she was shot nearby before stopping at a gas station for help.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office says they are still investigating how Scott was shot.
On a Gofundme set up by the family, the victim’s brother wrote that her death was the result of an attempted home robbery. Police have not commented on whether the shooting was accidental or the result of a robbery.
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According to Everytown for Gun Safety, accidental gunshot deaths by children increased by 31% during the pandemic. In 2020, Georgia saw 22 cases compared to the 15 from the previous year.
The Gun Violence Archive data shows that gun violence against children and teens also skyrocketed. 2020 saw an increase of nearly 400 with more than 1,300 kids nationwide being killed.
“These are children, there are children that are being taken away, and it’s crippling,” said Scott’s family member.
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