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A dad has been charged after accidentally shooting his nine-year-old daughter while showing her 'how to handle guns safely'.

Police in Moffat, Texas, say Justin Ryan Jones, 34, was pretending to shoot the girl with a handgun when the weapon discharged.

The local News25 channel said authorities arrested the dad while his daughter remained in a critical condition in a local hospital.

Bell County Sheriff's deputies were called to the home following reports of a shooting on February 4.

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On arrival, they found a man with his daughter who was suffering from a gunshot wound to the left side of her chest.

An investigation by the sheriff's department revealed the girl's father had been looking after her and her two younger brothers while the children’s grandparents were out of town.

Officials say Jones shot his daughter in the dining room of the residence and his actions concerning the shooting were considered reckless.

Read more:America's gun girl: The 10-year-old firearms fanatic who lobbies politicians

Police said Jones has now been charged with causing injury to a child and is being held in lieu of a $25,000 bond payment.

After the shooting, the girl was immediately taken to McLane Children's hospital where she underwent surgery.

Officials say she spent several days in the Intensive Care Unit and additional surgeries were later successfully performed. She was finally allowed home a week later.