Haley Moore happened to find her father’s unsecured gun on a table at his home in Louisiana while he was taking a shower. Then, according to what her father, Eric Moore, told St. John the Baptist Parish police officers, she started playing with the gun and shot herself. “The father said he was taking a shower when he heard a gunshot,” sheriff’s Lt. Greg Baker told local NBC affiliate WDSU. “He got out of the shower, and that’s when he discovered that his daughter had accidentally shot herself.” The 5-year-old girl was rushed to the hospital but died of her injuries.
Haley Moore’s sister and brother ran into the street after the shot was fired and a neighbor, Joy Ursin, took them inside.“The oldest kid, she repeatedly said, ‘My sister shot herself. My sister shot herself. I don’t know if she’s going to be OK,’ ” Ursin told WDSU.
Ursin told local CBS affiliate WWL that the whole thing was a bit unusual because the father, a military veteran, would often speak about the importance of gun safety. “He would tell them about the dangers and he had this thing about safety,” she said. “He did not want them to be ignorant of the fact that they can harm you.” Neighbors said Moore had served in Iraq and was recently divorced.
