Girl, 11, killed as sibling played with gun

Published 1:57 pm Saturday, June 2, 2012

The Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation are investigating the shooting death of an 11-year-old Catoosa County girl Friday night. Officials say the girl was apparently accidentally shot by her 12-year-old brother.

In a press release, Whitfield County Sheriff Scott Chitwood said Whitfield 911 received a call about 10:45 p.m. Officials determined the call came from 2464 Bandy Road in Catoosa County. Catoosa County authorities responded to the scene and found Cassie Culpepper dead. She appeared to have one gunshot wound to the face.

After speaking with her parents, authorities determined the girl had been in a vehicle and was actually in Whitfield County on Old Ringgold Road when she was shot. Old Ringgold Road in Whitfield County turns into Bandy Road in Catoosa County.

The investigation revealed the mother of the child was driving a pickup and allowing her children and some other children to ride in the back of the truck. The mother was not aware her son had a .38-caliber revolver he had taken from their residence. He thought the gun was unloaded and was going to “scare” the girl while they were riding down the road. He pointed the weapon at her and pulled the trigger. When the mother heard the gunshot, she stopped to see what had happened. Upon discovering her daughter had been shot, she rushed to their nearby residence for assistance.

Chitwood said the case is still under investigation and the results of the investigation will be turned over to the district attorney’s office for review when it is complete. The Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office and the GBI are being assisted in the investigation by the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office and the coroner’s office.