Updated at 10 a.m. ET: STANWOOD, Wash. -- The 7-year-old daughter of a Marysville police officer died Sunday after being shot by her young sibling on Saturday.
Police say at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday, two children were left alone in a van parked just off Highway 532 in Stanwood.
There was a gun in the car. One of the children picked up the gun and accidentally shot the other.
Snohomish County Sheriff's Department says the van and gun is registered to a member of the Marysville Police Dept. The young girl is the daughter of the officer.
The sheriff's office says their parents were nearby when it happened.
It's not known how long the children were in the car.
It's a big loss in Stanwood and in Marysville where the girl's dad is a police officer. Flowers outside their headquarters show how deeply the accident has impacted everyone.
“It's just an awful tragedy,” said Stanwood resident Mike Ofstad. “I'm amazed it could happen in a small town like this but I suppose it could happen anywhere.”
Investigators are not saying if the officer's duty weapon was involved, but many in the community say they're reluctant to criticize a parent who is now facing the unthinkable.
"I know the dad is probably right now just devastated and he probably recognizes that was a mistake,” said Stanwood resident Dana korte. “That just shows how quick things happen.”
The girl, the oldest of four children, was a second grader at Utsalady Elementary School. There will be grief counselors at the school on Monday.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News
- Bison from Canada help repopulate 'Wild West'
- Feds stop funding Texas women's health program over abortion dispute
- School district to pay $4.4 million for football head injury
- Pat Robertson says to legalize marijuana. Would Jesus agree?
