Texas law addresses access to loaded firearms by children, but authorities had not announced charges in the 4-year-old girl’s death.
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Investigators are examining how a 4-year-old girl gained access to her mother’s apparently unsecured handgun before a fatal shooting Thursday night, as authorities consider whether the case could result in criminal charges.
The girl was alone inside a closet at a northwest Harris County home when investigators say she found the gun and accidentally shot herself. Harris County Precinct 4 deputies responded around 11 p.m. Aug. 27 in the Champions area. The child was taken to a hospital, where she died, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Jason Brown said the handgun belonged to the child’s mother and had been stored inside the closet. He said the weapon did not appear to have been secured. Investigators were interviewing the mother and a 10-year-old sibling who was also home as authorities tried to determine exactly how the younger child reached the closet and firearm.
Brown said Friday that charges were possible, but no charging decision had been announced. The Houston Chronicle reported that the Harris County District Attorney’s Office would review potential charges after the sheriff’s investigation. Authorities had not accused the mother of a crime as of Friday.
Texas Penal Code Section 46.13 addresses circumstances in which a child gains access to a readily dischargeable firearm. The law defines a child for that section as someone younger than 17 and defines a readily dischargeable firearm as one loaded with ammunition, whether or not a round is in the chamber.
Under the statute, a person can commit an offense if a child gains access to such a firearm and the person, with criminal negligence, failed to secure it or left it somewhere the person knew or should have known a child could reach. The law describes securing a firearm as taking reasonable steps to prevent a child’s access, including placing it in a locked container or using a device that temporarily makes it inoperable.
The statute provides that an offense can be a Class A misdemeanor when a child discharges the firearm and causes death or serious bodily injury. Whether the law applies in a particular case depends on the evidence and circumstances, and investigators had not publicly said Friday that all elements of any offense had been established in the Harris County shooting.
Authorities continued to describe the shooting itself as accidental. Their investigation remained focused on the firearm’s storage, how the 4-year-old was able to reach it and what happened inside the home before deputies arrived. The child’s name had not been publicly released in the reports reviewed Friday.
No arrest or charge had been announced as of Friday, and the investigation remained open pending additional findings and any review by prosecutors.
Author note: Last updated August 28, 2026.