Mother of five killed after kids found her gun in her purse

Police say no-one else at North Carolina home when shooting happened

Mother of five killed after kids found her gun in her purse (Getty/iStock)

A mother of five was accidentally shot and killed when her children found a gun in her purse.

Gabriel Henderson died and her youngest child was injured during the shocking incident in a bedroom at the family’s apartment in Cornelius, North Carolina.

Police say that the only people in the home at the time of the shooting were Ms Henderson, 25, and her children.

Investigators say the oldest child was in the living room and the other four were in the bedroom when they discovered the semiautomatic handgun.

“The mother was inadvertently shot, as well as the youngest child,” police said in a statement.

“The youngest child was transported by Medic to Atrium Main in Charlotte with non-life-threatening injuries.”

The children are now staying with family members and a GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money to support them and for funeral expenses.

Cornelius police chief, Jennifer Thompson, warned the community to be aware of gun safety, and urged them contact authorities for a gun lock.

“We know that children are going to look at a gun and not be able to tell if it’s real or safe,” she told Fox46.

“That’s why we talk about how important it is to be a good gun owner.

“Patrol officers can come by and show you how to use the gun lock and be a good, safe gun owner.”