Salt Lake Tribune
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Child killed at birthday party is ID'd; sheriff calls it an accident
This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2009, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

A 5-year-old girl shot and killed at her own birthday party in Iron County was identified in her obituary as Emilia Deserae Luna.

Emilia was identified in an obituary and news article published in The Tribune-News of Holbrook, Ariz., where she resided with her family. Emilia was visiting family in Beryl and celebrating her upcoming birthday on June 22.

Emilia and another girl, about the same age, found a .22-caliber rifle in the home, Iron County Sheriff Mark Gower said Tuesday. Gower said he is not certain whether Emilia shot herself or if the second girl fired the gun. Gower said the other girl has given conflicting statements.

Either way, the sheriff said, the shooting appeared to be accidental and no criminal charges will be filed.

The obituary states she enjoyed horseback riding and was "excited about being in the first grade next year."

Her grandmother and great-grandmother live in Beryl, according to the obituary.

Nate Carlisle

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