Benin: 8-year-old girl dies accidentally while playing with a homemade gun

The victim was playing with a friend in the presence of her grandfather when she tried to hit a gecko with the weapon, inadvertently triggering the fatal discharge.

According to testimony reported by Le Potentiel, the weapon belonged to the grandfather and had been left within reach. The bullet struck her in the chest, causing instant death.

Immediately after the accident, the grandfather fled. Alerted, local authorities and law enforcement went to the scene to ascertain the facts. An investigation has been opened to shed light on the circumstances of this tragedy and to find the owner of the weapon.