Woman Dies After Teen Boy Accidentally Shoots Her While Playing With A Handgun

A woman reportedly died after a teen boy accidentally shot her while he was playing with a handgun near Superstition Springs Mall, Mesa, Arizona on Monday, Oct. 24.

The alleged shooter, a 16-year-old boy, along with two others was heading into the Superstition Springs Mall parking lot near the U.S. 60 and Power Road in Mesa, Arizona on Monday afternoon. The teen who was seated in the backseat of the car was reportedly playing around with a handgun at the time of the incident. However, while he was playing around with the gun, the gun accidentally went off, hitting the 20-year-old woman sitting in the front seat of the car, 12 News reported.

The woman suffered grievous injuries in the shooting and was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. However, despite the efforts, the woman succumbed to her gunshot injuries and later died at the hospital.

According to Mesa police, the teenage suspect has been taken into custody following the shooting. However, the officers did not reveal whether he’ll face any charges, FOX 10 Phoenix reported.

The deceased woman's identity has not been revealed. The officers also didn’t reveal whether the third person inside the car was hurt in the shooting. The officers have launched an investigation into the shooting and the investigation is currently ongoing.

In a similar but unrelated incident, a 2-year-old toddler has been reported dead after accidentally shooting himself in the face with his father's gun in a tragic incident in East Nashville, Tennessee, as previously reported.

On Monday, Nov. 1, 2021, at around 9:30 p.m., the young boy reportedly found his father Jeffrey Thorpe's gun on a bed inside their home and picked it up to play with it. Thorpe, who was visiting his wife and child, had carelessly placed his firearm on the bed and left it unattended. The toddler then accidentally fired the gun and shot himself in the head.

Thorpe immediately drove the boy and his mother Aaliyah Scales, 23, to TriStar Skyline Medical Center for treatment. However, after dropping them off at the hospital, he took off and fled the scene. The toddler was admitted to the hospital in critical condition but later succumbed to his fatal injuries.