By Rachel Brandes
Moapa Valley Progress
Submitted July 16, 2008
A 12-year old Moapa girl was killed on Saturday, July 5 at approximately 12:45 p.m. in what appears to have been an accidental shooting, according to Paiute Tribal Police. Chanel Rubio suffered a single gunshot wound to the upper torso area. The incident took place at the Moapa Indian Reservation east housing area.
According to witnesses on the scene the girl and her young cousin were sitting in an unattended vehicle when the cousin located a firearm which had been stowed in the vehicle. Witnesses said that the young girl didn’t realize the firearm was loaded and proceeded to pull the trigger.
The Moapa Tribal Police Department, local Metro,and the Federal Bureau of Investigations responded. Clark County Fire Department Unit #72 treated the victim on the scene. She was then transported by Life Flight Helicopter to University Medical Center in Las Vegas. Rubio later succumbed to her wounds at the hospital.
The official results of the autopsy are currently pending and the FBI investigation is continuing.
