3-year-old boy fatally shoots his 5-year-old cousin during family gathering

He was not aware the gun was real.

I family in Georgia are in deep mourning after a three-year-old family member accidentally shot his five-year-old cousin dead. The young child had come across his father's gun, which had not been securely put away, and thinking it was a toy fired the weapon which struck and killed his cousin. Five-year-old Khalis Eberhart was hit by a bullet from the gun during a family gathering for Thanksgiving and was rushed to hospital with life threatening injuries. Tragically, the young girl was later pronounced dead. Police are currently investigating the incident after it was discovered the gun in question was not safely secured when the three-year-old came upon it.

The candlelight vigil for five-year-old Khalis Eberhart is underway right now. Her dad shed tears during the vigil. The family will plan her funeral on Monday. Police say another child shot her, and the family says it was accidental. @11Alive pic.twitter.com/p3PRaBMJic

— Dawn White (@DawnWhiteNews) November 28, 2021

A candlelight vigil was held yesterday for Khalis and the community is said to be devastated at the loss of the beautiful five-year-old. When speaking to the media, Khalis' grandmother Tracey said that Khalis has a twin;

"When you saw one, you saw the other one. They were always holding hands, hugging. They were always together. They talked to one another. They had a language that nobody [else knew]."

While police continue to investigate what led up to the shooting the family reiterate that it was a tragic accident and wish to be left to grieve. The funeral of five-year-old Khalis will go ahead this week and our thoughts are with her family at this extremely difficult time. According to police Khalis' shooting is one of several accidental shootings that have occurred over the Thanksgiving holidays.