View source: https://www.trendiee.com/life/dad-says-fatally-shot-daughter-teaching-gun-safety/

Nine-year-old Olivia Hummel walked into a room where her brothers and dad were early Saturday evening, when he told them, “See? Don’t play with guns,” authorities said.

According to Chicago Tribune, Just then, her father inadvertently shot Olivia once in the head, according to court records and Hobart Lt. James Gonzales. She died less than a half-hour later, authorities said.

Eric Hummel, 33, was charged Monday with neglect of a dependent resulting in death, battery resulting in death to a person less than 14 years old, reckless homicide, and two counts of neglect of a dependent, all felonies, Lake County court records show.

Investigations into the death of a child are “always extremely difficult,” but “this was not just another accidental discharge of a firearm,” Hobart Police Chief Richard Zormier said at a Monday afternoon press conference.

“I believe this was a series of heinous and depraved acts committed by a suspect on June the 10th. His actions that day endangered the lives of all three children and ultimately stole the life of Olivia, an innocent 9-year-old little girl,” Zormier said. “His actions caused the death of Olivia and likely scarred the boys emotionally for life.”

Police were called around 5 p.m. Saturday to the home in the 100 block of East 10th Street in Hobart, Gonzales said.

An officer was directed upstairs, where he found Eric Hummel kneeling next to his daughter, who was lying in a bedroom doorway, according to a probable cause affidavit filed in court.”She’s dead, she’s dead. I thought it was empty,” Hummell told the officer, according to the affidavit.

He told the officer, “I was showing the boys the gun and told them not to ever play with it because it can kill someone. Then she walked in the room and I pointed it at her and pulled the trigger, thinking it was empty,” the affidavit states.

The officer began chest compressions before Olivia was transported to St. Mary Medical Center in Hobart where she was pronounced dead at 5:25 p.m., according to court records.

Olivia’s death was ruled a homicide after an autopsy Monday morning at the Lake County Coroner’s Office, Gonzales said. She had been shot once in the head, from about 2 to 3 feet away, Gonzales said.

View source: https://www.trendiee.com/life/dad-says-fatally-shot-daughter-teaching-gun-safety/