Banning Mother Shoots Daughter On Accident

12 year-old Eliana shows off her wound — after being shot in the arm.

When asked if it hurt, she replies “No.”.

Eliana was shot with a miniature gun — a .22 Derringer.

Her mother was the one who shot her.

“It was in my hand, but I had my hand down,” said Rachel Avila, Eliana’s mother.

She says she doesn’t remember pulling the trigger — and that the gun just went off.

Mother and daughter say they went to visit a friend at their home on North Phillips Avenue. When they looked on the ground outside the home they spotted a small silver gun which they did not believe was the real thing.

They thought it was a cigarette lighter — a novelty often sold in tobacco stores.

“It looked like a lighter. We’re going to pick it up and I had grabbed it and it didn’t light. When we’re going to give it to my friend. It went off and we didn’t know,” said Avila.

“We didn’t know I got shot until I looked at my arm,” said Eliana.

The bullet ricocheted off the ground and hit Eliana. She was rushed down the road to San Gorgonio Memorial Hospital.

Her injuries were minor. The bullet is still in her arm.

“I was scared. Got scared and nervous. But I’m just glad she’s okay,” said Avila.

Eliana’s mother says she feels awful — but is relieved something worse didn’t happen.

“It could’ve been any of the kids that picked it up that play there. Nobody knows who’s it was or how it got there.”

Detectives are now trying to get those answers.