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Three year old girl fatally shot by child playing with gun

A 3-year-old girl died after she was shot by another child Friday, July 31 2015 - ARUBA TRAVELLER

who was thought to be playing with a gun at an apartment
complex in Southeast Washington, according to police.
The girl was identified as Dalis Cox. Authorities said a pre-
liminary investigation shows that the shooting “may have
been the result of another child having found and been
playing with a firearm that discharged” and struck Dalis.
It was not known who the gun belonged to or where it was
found. The incident occurred Wednesday about 8:18 p.m.
at the Benning Terrace housing complex in the 600 block
of 46th Place SE near Benning Road. Police Cmdr. Robert
Alder said the girl was found shot inside the complex.
When police arrived, the victim was nonresponsive. She
was transported to an area hospital, where she succumbed
to her wounds, according to police.

On Wednesday night, two people in the police department
said the initial investigation showed that the girl was shot
by a 7-year-old boy who had found a gun in the apartment.
The two people, who did not want to be identified, said
they think the weapon was fired twice.
On Thursday, Timothy Cox — the girl’s father — said he
would not discuss the circumstances of his daughter’s
killing, but said the girl was one of three children he has
with a woman who lives in the apartment complex where
the girl was shot.

He declined to name the girl’s mother, but said they are
not married and share custody of the kids, ages 10, 7
and 3. He described his children as being very close to
each other.
Cox, 48, of Suitland, said he last saw Dalis on Wednesday
evening. He went to the mother’s apartment after work
to see her as he does many nights. He said he joked,
snuggled and played with Dalis on a couch in the apart-
ment. When it was time for him to leave, Dalis got up to
get her shoes as well.

“She said,‘Daddy, I want to
come with you,’ ”

Cox said.

“I said, ‘Baby, I have to go
to work. I will be back to get

you the next time.’ ”

There would be no next time. Later Wednesday night,
Cox said, he got a call from a neighbor saying Dalis had
been shot. Cox said he rushed to the apartment, hoping
for the best. But the girl was dead.
“Dalis is my life and soul,” Cox said. “I’m at a real loss.
People need to make sure they are with their kids at all
times. Tomorrow is not promised.”

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