PHOENIX — A 5-year-old girl is dead after she was reportedly shot by her 9-year-old brother Tuesday night in south Phoenix.
Phoenix police say they received a stabbing call in the area near 7th Avenue and Buckeye Road just after 9:00 p.m.
Officers located the caller at the behavioral hospital seeking aid for the girl who was suffering from a gunshot wound.
The girl later died of her injuries.
The girl has not yet been identified by police, but family identified her to ABC15 as Layla Ramos.
During the investigation, police learned that Ramos' 9-year-old brother accidentally shot her inside their home near 7th Avenue and Broadway Road.
ABC15's Ford Hatchett spoke with Layla's family, who remember the little girl as soft-hearted and loving, watch in the player below:
During an investigation, it was learned that the gun used in the shooting belonged to the children's father, 33-year-old Irvin Ramos-Jimenez.
He was booked into the county jail for possession of a weapon by a prohibited person.
During a hearing on Wednesday afternoon, prosecutors asked a Maricopa County judge for a $250,000 secure bond.
"He brought a gun into a home with kids and not just any gun. It was an assault rifle," said a prosecutor.
The prosecutor told the judge Ramos-Jimenez allegedly stored the firearm in his 9-year-old son's bedroom.
On Wednesday, the Maricopa County judge denied the state's request and released Ramos-Jimenez "on his own recognizance." The judge ordered him not to initiate contact with any victims or witnesses.
The family has set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral expenses for the young girl.
Dolores Ramirez, Layla's mother, shared the following statement with ABC15:
"My sweet daughter Layla was only five years old, but she filled our world with a love and light far beyond her years. She had the gentlest soul—kind, soft-hearted, and always so loving. Layla was the kind of child who made everyone feel special with just a smile or a quiet hug. She was so excited for school to start soon; she would talk about it with such joy and anticipation. She loved deeply and purely, and that love will stay with us forever. Though her time with us was far too short, Layla’s beautiful spirit will always live on in our hearts."
The case remains under investigation.
