PHOENIX — A juvenile girl was accidentally shot Thursday night at an apartment complex after another school-aged child found and picked up a firearm, police said.
The shooting occurred near 7th Avenue and Alta Vista Road in South Phoenix after a child discovered a loaded gun in their apartment unit, Phoenix police said.
The child sustained a non-life-threatening injury and was taken to the hospital. Paramedics could be seen giving the wounded child a teddy bear as they were taking them away in an ambulance.
Phoenix police said officers are still investigating the circumstances leading up to the accidental shooting.
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What is the Valley?
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
