photo by: Kansas Bureau of Investigation

Two young children are dead after their young sibling reportedly picked up a loaded, unsecured shotgun and fired, according to a news release from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.

The incident happened on March 28 in Brookville, which is in Ellsworth County about 20 miles southwest of Salina. A 5-year-old girl died at the scene, and an 8 year-old boy survived for several days before dying on April 3.

The KBI is assisting the Ellsworth County Sheriff’s Office with an ongoing investigation.

According to a KBI news release, at 3:15 p.m. on March 28, a caller from a residence located south of the intersection of Kansas Highway 141 and Avenue N in Brookville reported a shooting in which two children were severely injured.

Sheriff’s deputies, troopers from the Kansas Highway Patrol, game wardens from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, and emergency medical personnel all responded to the home. Despite life-saving measures the 5-year old girl was pronounced deceased at the scene. The 8-year-old boy was flown to a Wichita hospital in critical condition before succumbing to his injuries days later.

“Preliminary information indicates that a young child picked up a loaded, unsecured shotgun and fired, striking two siblings,” the release said.