‘He shooted her.’ Man kills daughter while demonstrating gun safety to sons, police say

Eric Hummel said he wanted to show his two sons why they shouldn’t play with guns on Saturday. His actions led to him accidentally shooting his 9-year-old daughter in the head and killing her, police say.

The two boys were cleaning their room in their Indiana home on Saturday afternoon when Hummel walked in with his Glock. He told them they should never play with guns, and the boys said he pointed it at each of them and made a “pop” noise, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The gun was originally unloaded, but Hummel then loaded it and forgot he had done so, according to the local CBS station. He said again, “never use a gun,” and “this is why,” as his 9-year-old daughter Olivia walked into the room. He pointed the gun at her head and shot her, according to an arrest report.

“She’s dead. She’s f---ing dead,” Hummel told officers when they arrived, according to CBS. He was kneeling next to her body with a red ring around his eyes, like he had been crying, and his hands were shaking, police said.

The girl was later pronounced dead, and officers said she had been shot once in the head from only two or three feet away.

Hummel told officers he thought the gun was empty and he didn’t remember reloading it.

“He shooted her,” one of the boys told officers, according to police. “They were playing.”

Hummel asked officers if he could call his wife, the Chicago Tribune reported.

“I shot her, I’m so sorry,” he reportedly said. He added that he was, “showing the boys the gun and it was stupid, it was so stupid.” The mother dropped the phone and started screaming, she later told police.

Hummel has been charged with five felonies: neglect of a dependent resulting in death, battery resulting in death to a person less than 14 years old, reckless homicide, and two counts of neglect of a dependent.

Hobart Police Chief Richard Zormier said in a press conference that this was “not just another accidental discharge of a firearm.”

“I believe this was a series of heinous and depraved acts committed by a suspect on June the 10th. His actions that day endangered the lives of all three children and ultimately stole the life of Olivia, an innocent 9-year-old little girl,” Zormier said. “His actions caused the death of Olivia and likely scarred the boys emotionally for life.”

This story was originally published June 13, 2017 at 11:39 AM with the headline "‘He shooted her.’ Man kills daughter while demonstrating gun safety to sons, police say."