Police: 'Mentally Impaired' Child Playing With Shotgun Kills Family Friend

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A 12-year-old playing with a shotgun accidentally killed a 28-year-old woman as she slept in the next room Kalamazoo home of a family friend Friday morning, police said.

The gun discharged and the bullet struck the woman, who hasn’t been identified, in the head, Kalamazoo police said in a statement, The Grand Rapids Press/MLive.com reports.

Police were dispatched to the residence on Kalamazoo’s east side about 5:50 a.m.

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“While manipulating the gun, it accidentally discharged, and the pellets went through a wall in the home and struck the female while she slept in the living room of the home,” the release said

Though the shooting appears to be accidental, Kalamazoo detectives are continuing the investigation.

The victim had been temporarily living at the home, police said.

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