Girl Fatally Shoots Herself After Grabbing Officer's Gun

A teenage girl died in the lobby of a sheriff's station after shooting herself with a deputy's gun on Sunday evening.

The juvenile, who was 17 according to some news reports, had knocked on the door of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (LASD) in the city of Industry, California, at around 7:40 p.m., authorities said. But an altercation broke out and the girl was able to grab a deputy's gun from its holster during the scuffle. She died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene.

Although officers say the girl—who has not yet been publicly identified—shot herself, it is not yet clear if this was an intentional or accidental act. Nor is it clear why the altercation occurred. Newsweek has reached out to the LASD by email seeking further information and comment.

The Gun Violence Archive, a database that collects information about shootings across the country, has calculated that 3,686 people have died after being shot so far this year, a figure which also includes accidental fatalities but does not yet include suicide deaths.

The number of suicides by firearm have increased over the past few years, according to the database's statistics. In 2019, some 23,941 people intentionally shot and killed themselves, and the numbers have increased annually since then. In 2022, the most recent year that figures are available, 27,038 people died as a result of suicide with a gun.

Following Sunday evening's fatal shooting, an investigation is now underway.

A statement released by LASD said: "Deputies from the Industry Sheriff's Station were alerted to a female Hispanic juvenile who was knocking on the front door of the Sheriff's station lobby. The deputies walked to the lobby door. At which time the juvenile lunged into the lobby and reached for the deputy's holstered firearm and took possession of it. A struggle ensued between the deputies and juvenile who was armed with the deputy's firearm. During the struggle, the juvenile suffered from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

"Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel responded to the scene and pronounced the juvenile deceased.

"Investigators learned this incident stemmed from a family disturbance call deputies from the Industry Sheriff Station responded to shortly before the incident. No deputies were injured during the incident."

The incident comes amid a spate of gun deaths across the nation that has sparked a fierce debate about gun control, left politicians unable to answer how to address the problem, and led to multiple countries issuing warnings to their citizens considering traveling to the U.S.

• If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours every day.

Update 3/25/24 6:08 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include a statement by the LASD.