On the afternoon of Saturday, April 6, 2024, three-year-old Kayden Barnes was at her family home on the 500 block of East Chelten Avenue in Germantown, Philadelphia, when she found a loaded handgun left unsecured on a dresser. The firearm belonged to her father; it discharged while Kayden handled it and struck her in the right eye.

Her father drove her to Einstein Medical Center; she was then airlifted to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in extremely critical condition. Kayden died from her injuries in the early morning hours of Monday, April 8, 2024. Philadelphia police recovered the gun from the home and temporarily took her father into custody for questioning; he was later released. Authorities said they were reviewing evidence with the District Attorney’s Office and did not expect charges to be filed.

If anyone in Germantown saw anything that afternoon or has information about how the firearm came to be accessible, please share what you know.