3-year-old girl dies of gunshot wound in Mt. Washington

A 3-year-old girl died Sunday of a gunshot wound in Pittsburgh's Mt. Washington neighborhood, police said.

The circumstances surrounding the child's death remained unclear.

Around 1 p.m., the girl's mother reportedly ran outside of a house on Southern Avenue with her wounded daughter in her arms, Public Safety spokeswoman Sonya Toler said. The mother, whose name has not been released, hailed a ride to Allegheny General Hospital, where the girl was pronounced dead.

A few hours later, about a dozen of the girl's family members and loved ones gathered in somber silence in the lobby of Pittsburgh police's headquarters in the North Side. The group spanned a wide range of ages, from older adults to a couple of small children wearing St. Patrick's Day-themed green beaded necklaces.

At one point, the group stood in a circle, linked hands, bowed their heads and prayed.

Police officials then escorted them to a back room for questioning.

“Once we get a chance to talk to the people who were in the house, we will have something to say about how (this) happened,” Toler said.

A police chaplain was made available and could be seen coming and going from a secured room, where family members remained as of 8 p.m.

Police would not say who lived at the house where the shooting happened. Neither the girl nor her mother lived there, Toler said. She also said that the girl's father “was not involved.”

Family members declined to speak to reporters.

Police are continuing to investigate.

Natasha Lindstrom is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-380-8514 or nlindstrom@tribweb.com.