Newark police van scene

Newark police say a 9-year-old girl was shot in a Renner Avenue home Saturday by her 12-year-old brother, who was playing with an unsecured handgun.

(Naomi Nix | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

NEWARK — The mother of a 9-year-old girl who was shot by her 12-year-old brother as he played with a handgun has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child, police said Saturday.



Catrease Thomas, 33, was also charged with unlawful possession of

a weapon, according to Newark police spokesman Sgt. Ronald Glover. The gun was reported stolen in Alabama, according to police, who added that charges are pending against a second unnamed adult.

The girl's brother was playing with an unsecured 9mm handgun at home when he shot the girl, Glover said in a press release. Police did not say whether any adult was in the house at the time of the shooting.



Officers were called around 12:18 p.m. to Thomas' Renner Avenue residence, where they found the girl suffering from a gunshot wound to her chest, Glover said. Investigators recovered the loaded gun at the scene.



"The City, the Police Department, the residents, we are all outraged that this senseless shooting has occurred, an incident that could have easily been avoided but for the carelessness of two adults," city Police Director Eugene Venable said in a statement. "We have a 9 -year- old clinging to her life as a result of that carelessness."



Chaz Hanson, 31, who lives across the street from Thomas, said he heard a loud noise around 12:15 p.m. and saw police officers emerge from the home a carrying a child.



"She was just wrapped up," Hanson said.



Police said the girl was in critical, but stable condition at University Hospital Saturday night.

Naomi Nix and Justin Zaremba of NJ Advance Media contributed to this report.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

