Officers arrived to find the mother on the front steps holding the girl.
Officers arrived to find the mother on the front steps holding the girl.
Philadelphia police have charged the mother of a 4-year-old girl who died after being shot with third-degree murder.
Authorities yesterday also accused the mother, 25-year-old Shakeia Holmes, of trying to cover up what happened. Police say it appears the gunshot to the girl's right eye was self-inflicted, though autopsy results are pending.
Holmes is awaiting arraignment. It wasn't immediately known if she's represented by a lawyer.
An arrest warrant has been issued for her boyfriend, Demetrius Williams. He's facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter and related offenses.
Police say the shooting occurred in a second-floor bedroom of a north Philadelphia home at about noon Thursday. Officers arrived to find the mother on the front steps holding the girl. The child was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead about an hour later.