Man Shoots 6-Year-Old Daughter Accidentally While Teaching Her Gun Safety

A six-year-old girl was in critical condition after she was accidentally shot by her father during gun safety lesson in Arizona on Thursday. The father was arrested and charged with child abuse and aggravated assault Friday.

The incident came to light Thursday afternoon after 26-year-old Eldon Mcinville called 911 and said his daughter's "intestines were visible." Officers reached the spot and airlifted the girl to a hospital where she underwent a life-saving surgery. She, however, was listed in a critical condition.

Sgt. John Roth, with the Glendale Police Department, said, "They [First responders] said she was the bravest, strongest girl they’ve ever seen. She was talking. She wasn’t crying. She was asking questions as any 6-year-old would do.”

Mcinville was taken into custody and during police interrogation, he said he was cleaning his newly-purchased double-barrel shotgun for the first time Thursday afternoon when the incident took place. He cleaned the gun and was walking to put it away when he accidentally slipped and fell, and the weapon went off, hitting the girl in the abdomen.

“The results of the investigation and interviews revealed that the father was recklessly manipulating and handling the firearm just before he reportedly fell causing the shotgun to discharge and strike the little girl,” the Glendale Police Department said, the AZ Central reported.

Mcinville also told police he was teaching his daughter gun safety before the incident and that he watched YouTube videos to learn how to clean and load the shotgun.

Virgil Bland, a gun safety class instructor, said, “The real issue is it’s kind of the blind leading the blind in this situation. He’s trying to teach his daughter firearm safety when it sounds like, more or less, he was trying to learn firearm safety in his own right,” Fox 8 reported.

Mcinville appeared in court Friday when his bond was set at $50,000. He was also ordered not to contact his daughter while the case was pending.

“I just want to help my family. That’s all I want to do. I understand what’s going on. I understand… now, what’s going on,” he said during the hearing, NBC-affiliated television station KPNX reported.

Sgt. Roth said, "Everybody needs to pay attention with guns and make sure there are no kids around when you’re manipulating them in any way. It’s just a tragic lesson that many of us have heard. Guns are mishandled for one reason or another and have to strike something, and tragically, this little one was in the way.”

Mcinville was set to appear in court May 6.