Two young cousins were broadcasting live from a St. Louis apartment when one child killed the other before taking his own life in what family members say was a tragic accident. Police are still investigating Friday’s incident in which a 12-year-old girl, Paris Harvey, shot a 14-year-old boy, Kuaron Harvey, before killing herself. Police initially described it as a murder-suicide.
“We send our deepest condolences to the family,” St. Louis police said in a statement. Facebook post identify the two children.
The girl’s grandmother, Susan Dyson, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that she saw the Instagram Live video the two cousins were making together at a downtown St. Louis apartment the family had rented to celebrate March birthdays.
“It wasn’t a situation where they were arguing or anything like that,” said Dyson, who is from the Dallas area. “They were playing with the gun, when they shouldn’t have. Of course, they shouldn’t have. I think it just exploded. It went off by mistake.”
Family members said the cousins were raised together. Kuaron’s mother and Paris’ father are siblings.
Paris and Kuaron were alone in a bathroom making a video in the mirror before filming. Family members said that after Kuaron was shot, the video showed Paris reaching for the gun and it may have accidentally detonated again. They said they believed the gun belonged to Kuaron. Both children were shot in the head.
“It wasn’t murder. It wasn’t suicide,” said Shinise Harvey, 35, Paris’ mother. “It was a freak accident. It happened.”
Harvey said she had not seen the video but family members had described it to her. She said the cousins were “trying to be too hip”.
Paris and Kuaron Harvey were often together making videos and pulling pranks. Family members said Paris, who was one of nine children, was a funny seventh-year-old who loved having her hair and nails done and had a beautiful voice. They described Kuaron as an awkward eighth grader who had long been able to do backflips.
According to data analyzed by the advocacy group Everytown for Gun SafetySo far this year, there have been at least 51 unintentional shootings of children in the United States, leaving 17 dead and 38 injured.
Last year, there were at least 379 unintentional shootings of children nationwide, killing 154 and injuring 244, the group said.
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