4-year-old girl fatally shoots herself searching for candy in grandmother’s purse: Police

“She just wanted some damn candy,” says the child’s father

A Tampa, Florida, girl died last week after reaching into her grandmother’s purse to get some candy and pulling the trigger of a gun instead.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Yanelly Zoller, 4, shot herself in the chest while at her grandparents’ home on September 14. Though police are still investigating the tragic incident, they don’t believe foul play was involved.

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“I was driving to pick her up with her bathing suit in my car to take her to the splash pads,” the child’s father, Shane Zoller, told the Tampa Bay Times.

“When I pulled up, that’s when I saw all the police lights.”

Shane and the child’s mother shared custody, according to the local paper. Shane said that he had Yanelly when he was a teenager and his parents, Michael and Christie Zoller, helped raise her.

“She was extremely close to them and would get so excited when she got to stay at her nana’s house,” he said. “She was attached to her nana’s hip.”

READ More: Distraught dad kills himself after toddler accidentally shoots himself in head with loaded gun: Police

Yanelly was laid to rest today in Thonotosassa. The family has started a GoFundMe to cover her funeral costs. As of Thursday afternoon, the campaign has raised about $1,700 of its $5,000 goal.

 

[Featured Image: GoFundMe]