Baltimore police confirmed Wednesday that a 10-year-old girl tragically passed away after accidentally shooting herself in the head with a stolen firearm she found at her grandmother’s home.
The victim, E’vaa Sewell, suffered critical injuries in the incident, which occurred on Saturday, January 27, in the 3500 block of Ingleside Avenue in Northwest Baltimore’s Pimlico neighborhood.
According to investigators, Sewell accessed the unsecured firearm while her grandmother, 51-year-old Alethea Mitchell, was at work. The gun discharged accidentally, resulting in fatal injuries.
Sewell was rushed to Johns Hopkins Hospital in critical condition, but despite medical efforts, she succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday.
Following the shooting, Mitchell was arrested and now faces multiple firearms-related charges.
Court records indicate that the handgun had been reported stolen in a 2017 burglary in North Carolina. Mitchell, who has prior drug and burglary convictions, was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
During her initial court appearance on Monday, a judge denied her bail, citing concerns that she posed a danger to the community.
Charging documents reveal that after discovering her injured granddaughter, Mitchell’s initial reaction was to hide the firearm rather than immediately seek help.
Investigators reported that Mitchell claimed the gun belonged to her ex-boyfriend, but due to her criminal record, she was not legally allowed to have a firearm in her possession.
Baltimore Police Commissioner Richard Worley confirmed that officers responded to the scene at approximately 3:16 p.m. on Saturday.
“All indications are the young lady got ahold of a weapon that was unsecured and shot herself,” Worley stated.
Neighbors expressed their grief over the heartbreaking incident, and a Baltimore City Schools spokesperson confirmed that E’vaa was a student at Carter Elementary/Middle School.
The investigation remains ongoing.