2-Year-Old Dead After Accidentally Shooting Herself With Handgun

A 2-year-old girl is dead after accidentally shooting herself with a handgun inside a North Carolina home, according to multiple reports.

Police said the girl, who was nicknamed "Coco," found a loaded handgun and that it discharged, local NBC affiliate WNCN-TV reported. She was at the home with her aunt and grandmother at the time.

When officers found the girl, whose name is not being released, she wasn't breathing. She was immediately brought to the Cape Fear Medical Center where she was pronounced dead, the local outlet reported.

"She would always come to to the fence line and play with my dog," neighbor Byron Brown told WRAL-TV. "To lose a 2-year-old baby who hasn't even lived yet...is horrific," he said.

Another neighbor, Felicia Brown, told WNCN-TV there have been "too many shootings" in the neighborhood recently and that she plans to move away.

Police ruled the death an accident, but say the investigation is ongoing. While there have been no charges filed yet, authorities say that will likely change.