Girl, 5, dies after accidentally shooting herself in front of her two siblings while playing with her military veteran father's gun

  • Haley Moore died at her father Eric's home in LaPlace, Louisiana
  • Picked up the gun while her dad was in the shower and pulled the trigger
  • The family ran to the next door neighbors asking for help
  • Emergency services took her to hospital but she died a short time later 
  • Detectives say the gun was not locked away in a safe location  

By Wills Robinson For Dailymail.com

Published: 06:48 EST, 22 May 2016 | Updated: 07:48 EST, 22 May 2016

A five-year-old girl has died after she accidentally shot and killed herself while playing with her father's handgun.

Haley Moore was at her father Eric's home in LaPlace, Louisiana, on Saturday with her two siblings when she picked up the weapon and accidentally pulled the trigger.

She was taken to hospital but died a short time later.  

Her dad was in the shower at the time while detectives have said the gun was not locked away in a secure location.

Five-year-old Haley Moore has died after she accidentally shot and killed herself while playing with her father's handgun at his home in LaPlace, Louisiana 

Five-year-old Haley Moore has died after she accidentally shot and killed herself while playing with her father's handgun at his home in LaPlace, Louisiana 

She was with her two siblings (pictured) when she picked up the weapon and accidentally pulled the trigger. She was taken to hospital but died a short time later.

She was with her two siblings (pictured) when she picked up the weapon and accidentally pulled the trigger. She was taken to hospital but died a short time later.

Haley's father is a disabled military veteran and is separated from the youngster's mother.

Joy Ursin, the family's next-door neighbor, said he had the children for the weekend.

She told the Times-Picayune he was always mindful of securing his guns when they were staying with him.

At around 9.30am on Saturday morning, Ursin's husband ran into the house calling her name.

She then went outside to see her husband comforting Moore's two other children. The eldest kept saying 'my sister shot herself', over and over again.

'All I can say is it's an unfortunate thing because Eric is a disabled military veteran and one thing is he has his guns, but he's not ignorant to the fact of the danger, especially when his kids are around,' she told the newspaper.

'He would always stress how he had to secure (them), what he had to go through when the kids came. He made sure of that because he would get his kids every other weekend.

'They had a full schedule planned,' she added. 'He was gonna take them to see "Angry Birds" and they were all excited about that. And then this tragedy.'

Haley's father is a disabled military veteran and is separated from the youngster's mother (pictured)

Haley's father is a disabled military veteran and is separated from the youngster's mother (pictured)

'His kids are his life, so this to him is devastating. He would always bring them over every other Saturday when he would get them and I would have treats for them.'

A statement from St John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office read: 'The father of a 5-year-old girl reported that his daughter shot herself while playing with a handgun. 

'Emergency medical services transported the girl to the hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. Detectives identified the young girl as Haley Moore. 

'Detectives said that the handgun was unsecured in the residence. The incident is still under investigation. 

'The Sheriff's Office will release additional information regarding this incident when warranted. 

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