Girl Playing on Coney Island Beach Finds Loaded Gun

A young girl looking for seashells on the beach in Coney Island found a loaded handgun in the sand, police say. 

The 10-year-old girl, who was at the beach with her mother, found the 9 mm gun near West 19th Street at about 2 p.m., police say. 

Her mother brought it to a lifeguard, who called police. 

The weapon was filled with sand, and it had to be cut into pieces in order to make it safe to handle, according to police. It had one bullet inside. 

Beachgoers noticed the large police presence as investigators looked into the discovery. 

"We noticed the helicopters cruising around the boat, the NYPD boats going back and forth. We were wondering why," said Mo Zada of Astoria. 

Visitors were unnerved that a loaded gun was so easily dug up by a child in a crowded section of the popular beach. 

"You can't even have fun with your kids when something like this happens," said Aikeem Stoney of East New York. 

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