A 12-year-old boy in New Orleans is facing negligent homicide charges after fatally shooting his 9-year-old sister, police and neighbors said.
The girl, who was identified by a coroner’s office as Alisia Williams, was found lying on the floor of a home late Saturday at Bundy Apartments in the 6700 block of Bundy Road with a gunshot wound to her upper torso. She was rushed to a hospital, where she was later pronounced dead, police said.
Investigators are declining to identify the boy due to his age, a police spokesman told the Times-Picayune. But relatives of the family said the girl’s brother pulled the trigger accidentally, WWL reports.
The girl’s death left one of her neighbors — who helped care for her at times, according to the station — completely shaken and distraught.
“For her to be called home so early and the way she was called home, it’s very heartbreaking,” the unidentified neighbor told the station.
The anonymous neighbor said he’ll remember the girl’s “beautiful spirit” and unwavering, loving demeanor.
“That’s my heart,” he added. “I love her.”
Alisia, who enjoyed dancing and playing with dolls, left quite an impact on the man, as well as other residents on the block, he said.
“She was … what can I say?” the neighbor continued. “The proper word — she was our angel. She was our little angel. When God created her, I don’t know what he put, I don’t know what he created her with, but every child needs that. I will always remember that beautiful smile.”
A message seeking comment from New Orleans police regarding the exact circumstances of the fatal shooting was not immediately returned on Tuesday.
Another neighbor who lives in the apartment complex told the New Orleans Advocate that his nieces frequently played with Alisia, whom he described as an outgoing and happy girl.
“She didn’t deserve it,” JJ Smith, 22, told the newspaper. “Whatever the outcome is, she didn’t deserve it … She was 9 years old. She hasn’t even had a chance to live her little life.”
