14-year-old girl accidentally shoots self, dies while filming social media video
14-year-old girl accidentally shoots self, dies while filming social media video
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Chromebook challenge prompts concern among schools
Schools are taking precaution amid the dangerous 'Chromebook Challenge' circulating on social media where kids are destroying the laptops.
Fox - Fox 29
A teenage girl in Washington, D.C., died after accidentally shooting herself while recording a video for social media, police said.
The Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (MPD) announced the 14-year-old girl's death, which occurred around 5:09 p.m. on May 21. After receiving reports of a shooting, MPD officers responded to the girl's residence in northeast Washington, D.C., according to the department.
When officers arrived at the apartment, they found the girl inside suffering from a gunshot wound, police said. Although lifesaving measures were performed, the girl succumbed to her injuries, the department added.
'This is a devastating reminder of the dangers of weapons getting into the hands of young people in our city, and our hearts go out to the family and friends of the decedent,' Chief of Police Pamela A. Smith said in a statement. 'Firearms are not toys or props and they must be properly secured in a place where they can only be accessed by lawful gun owners.'
More news: Human remains found by hunter belong to missing Utah woman who disappeared in 2023
Was an adult in the home during the shooting?
Police said their preliminary investigation indicates that the unidentified teen was handling a gun while recording her social media video when the firearm went off and struck her in the upper body.
According to the department, multiple people, including at least one adult, were inside the apartment when the shooting happened. The gun used in the incident has been recovered, police said.
How common are unintentional child gun deaths?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) compiles data on unintentional child gun deaths. The most recent data released on the issue is from 2023.
Data from that year shows that 143 people ages 19 and younger died from unintentional injury from a firearm.
A 2023 study done by the CDC found that roughly three-quarters of unintentional child gun deaths between 2003 and 2021 involved a firearm that was stored loaded and unlocked.
Jonathan Limehouse covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at JLimehouse@gannett.com.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Uncertainty lingers over Dupont Circle's status ahead of WorldPride Parade
WASHINGTON () — With just two days left until the Parade in Washington, D.C., accessibility to Dupont Circle remains unclear, and city leaders are sending mixed signals about what to expect. Earlier this week, both D.C. and U.S. Park police over the weekend due to safety concerns. The decision stemmed from previous Pride weekends, when police said the area saw property damage, looting, underage drinking, and even reports of gunfire. The historic fountain at the center of the circle was reportedly damaged as well. PREVIOUS COVERAGE | DC police recinds request to close Dupont Circle park during WorldPride after pushback from DC community But following public pushback, including opposition from Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker, D.C. police have backed off their initial request. While the National Park Service has not yet made a final decision, many residents are calling for a solution that balances celebration and safety. 'It's a symbol for the gay community. It's a symbol for this neighborhood. It's one of the best neighborhoods in the city,' said Richard Lewis, who has lived near Dupont Circle for more than 20 years. 'I was disgusted and embarrassed [by the behavior last year]. I thought, this is not how we treat our neighborhoods. It was a slap to the gay community, knowing fully well that the parade wasn't even there.' Instead of a full closure, some neighbors are advocating for a compromise — keeping the park open, but with increased law enforcement. WorldPride underway in DC for first time 'I understand both sides of the story,' added Lewis. 'I'd like to see it remain open with increased police presence so people know there's accountability and that they shouldn't be damaging public or private property.' In a statement, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith confirmed the department's shift, saying, 'After hearing from community leaders and residents, I am formally withdrawing MPD's request to close Dupont Circle Park… While US Park Police will make the final call, MPD will have resources available if needed.' As of now, with a little more than 48 hours until the start of the parade, no final word has come from the National Park Service or U.S. Park Police about whether the park will remain open or closed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
DC police looking to identify suspect in Fairmont Street shooting
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — D.C. police are searching for a man in a Northwest shooting from Sunday. MPD: Argument over electric charging cable ends in shooting in DC Just before 8:20 p.m. on June 1, the suspect, shown in the video below, reportedly approached a man in the 1400 block of Fairmont Street, Northwest. After showing a gun, the suspect then shot the victim before fleeing. The man was taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Police were able to find surveillance footage of the suspect, who was seen wearing all black clothing except for the red and white Roman numerals on his black sweatshirt. The suspect also wore a white mask and dark glasses. Anyone who can identify the man is urged to call 202-727-9099. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CNN
4 hours ago
- CNN
Youth overdoses from synthetic opioids like fentanyl continue to rise. What should parents do?
Prescription drugs Drugs in society ParentingFacebookTweetLink Follow EDITOR'S NOTE: If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, help is available. Dial or text 988 or visit for free and confidential support. The United States is facing an alarming increase in overdose deaths among young people due to synthetic opioids. The rate of drug overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, which include fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, increased more than 20-fold between 2013 and 2022, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overdoses and drug poisonings are now the third leading cause of death in people under age 20, behind firearms and motor vehicle crashes. The overdose death counts among US youth ages 15 to 24 rose from 4,652 to 6,723 between 2018 and 2022, according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics. (A slight decrease occurred between 2021 and 2022.) The largest increase was seen in deaths involving only synthetic opioids: Since 2020, fatal overdoses involving only these substances were higher than overdoses in which multiple substances were implicated. Overdose rates were nearly 2.5 times higher among male youths compared with female youths and more than two times higher among those ages 20 to 24 compared with those ages 15 to 19. As a parent, I wanted to know more about synthetic opioids and their uses. Why are they so dangerous, and how are overdoses treated? How can people tell if the drugs they are taking contain synthetic opioids? Crucially, what can parents and other family members do to help reduce the risk of overdose? To help us answer these questions, I spoke with CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and adjunct associate professor at the George Washington University. Previously, she served as Baltimore's health commissioner, where she oversaw the city's opioid prevention strategy. CNN: What are synthetic opioids? What are they used for? Dr. Leana Wen: Prescription opioids are medications used to treat severe pain. They must be used with caution, however, because if they are used in higher than prescribed doses or otherwise incorrectly, they can result in drowsiness, slowed and shallow breathing, and even death. Opioids can be classified by where they originate. So-called natural opioids are derived from the poppy plant and include drugs such as morphine and codeine. Semisynthetic opioids include oxycodone and hydrocodone. Synthetic opioids are made in the laboratory. The synthetic opioid most implicated in fatal overdoses is fentanyl, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. There are other synthetic opioids too, such as tramadol and methadone. Methadone is also used as a treatment for people with opioid use disorder. Notably, the CDC's statistics and the new study in Pediatrics do not include methadone in their calculation of fatal overdoses due to synthetic opioids. The majority of synthetic overdose deaths in the US involve fentanyl or fentanyl derivatives. CNN: Are there legitimate medical uses of fentanyl? Wen: Yes. Fentanyl is often used in emergency settings to treat acute pain. For instance, someone who was in a high-speed car accident and just broke their hip needs immediate pain relief. It is also given to patients who have chronic pain that is not relieved by other methods. Some cancer patients with intractable pain use a fentanyl patch or fentanyl lozenge, for example. The current trend of youth overdoses is probably not mostly due to fentanyl being diverted from legitimate medical purposes. In recent years, there has been a significant problem with fentanyl being made in illegal labs. Synthetic fentanyl is sold illegally as a powder dropped onto blotter paper, put in eyedroppers and nasal sprays or, perhaps most terrifyingly, as pills that resemble other prescription pills, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. In addition, fentanyl is often mixed in with other drugs. People who think they are taking amphetamines, oxycodone, cocaine, heroin, MDMA (also known as ecstasy) or other 'party drugs' may be unknowingly taking fentanyl. Depending on the amount of fentanyl they are ingesting, they could overdose and die. CNN: What makes fentanyl especially dangerous? Wen: To begin, fentanyl is an extremely potent opioid. It is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. A small amount can lead to oversedation and death. People may not realize how dangerous fentanyl is or even that what they are taking has fentanyl in it. There have been numerous cases of high school and college-age students who have died after being given fentanyl-laced pills. CNN: How are overdoses treated? Wen: The treatment for opioid overdose is the medication naloxone, also sometimes referred to by its brand name Narcan. It is available as a nasal spray and as an intramuscular injection. The nasal spray is available over the counter for under $50. Some health insurance plans will cover naloxone, and some state and local health departments may give out this medication free of charge. If given immediately after someone loses consciousness, it could reverse the overdose and save someone's life. Individuals who come to after getting naloxone should still receive immediate medical care. They may need additional doses of naloxone, and they could need treatment for other potentially dangerous substances they have taken. CNN: How can people tell if the drugs they are taking contain synthetic opioids? Wen: This is an important question — the answer is that people can't easily tell if the drug they are taking contains fentanyl. Counterfeit medications can look exactly like the prescription form. If fentanyl is mixed in with cocaine or other illicit drugs, it's not possible to tell based on simply looking at the substance, as fentanyl is odorless and colorless. Fentanyl test strips can check for the presence of fentanyl in the drug supply. While the use of these strips can reduce overdose risk, know that just because one pill in the supply doesn't contain fentanyl doesn't mean that others all don't. Moreover, these strips don't test for other contaminants that can also be deadly. I want to share another key number: Of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills analyzed in 2022 by the US Drug Enforcement Administration Laboratory, 6 out of 10 contained a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. This is a sobering statistic and should be reason enough for people never to use illicit prescription pills or other illegal substances. CNN: What can parents and other family members do to help reduce the risk of overdose? Wen: Parents should speak with their children about the danger of counterfeit and illicit drugs. It doesn't matter if parents used drugs when they were younger. Drugs today are so much more powerful and dangerous. People should never take medications that don't belong to them. They don't know where the medications came from, if the medications are really what they claim to be, and whether they have contaminants such as fentanyl in which even a small amount could be fatal. I think it's also good practice to have naloxone accessible. As I mentioned, this medication is now available over the counter. Everyone can learn to use it and have it in their medicine cabinet.
