5-year-old girl killed in accidental shooting in Stewart County

Mark Hicks | Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle

DOVER, Tenn. — A 5-year-old Stewart County girl has died following what appears to be an accidental shooting at her home in the Big Rock community.

According to a report from the Sheriff’s Office, 911 received a call Saturday evening about a child possibly shot in the shoulder at a residence in the 400 block of Highway 120. When first responders arrived around 7:30 p.m., the girl was taken by ambulance to Tennova Healthcare in Clarksville, where she was pronounced dead.

Investigator Jody Batton said he and Investigator Dana Saltkill are still trying to determine exactly how the incident happened, but indications are it was accidental.

An older family member “was either cleaning (the gun) or clearing (any bullets from the weapon’s firing chamber) when it went off,” Batton said.

He added that statements from all the people at the residence about what happened are consistent, which helps indicate it was an accidental shooting.

Batton declined to release details about the weapon involved.

No charges have been filed.

Mark Hicks can be reached at 931-212-7626 or on Twitter: @markhicksleaf.