Man arrested after 10-year-old daughter's death

Joshua Jowers, 33, charged with possession of firearms by convicted felon

Joshua Scott Jowers

WAYCROSS, Ga. – A man was arrested in Ware County on Sunday after his 10-year-old daughter was accidentally shot and killed. 

Detectives said Joshua Jowers, 33, is a convicted felon and possessed several firearms in his home, according to the Ware County Sheriff's Office.  He is being held in the Ware County Jail.

Taylor Jowers was shot on Friday by a older relative.  Detectives said she asked to hold a 12-gauge shotgun in her home on Jana Lane.  Her parents were at work at the time.

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Investigators said her relative, a boy older than her but under 18, tried to make sure the shotgun wasn't loaded. During that process, the weapon discharged and hit Jowers, according to the Ware County Sheriff's Office.

The boy ran next door to call 911.  He is not facing any charges at this time.  Sheriff Randy Royal called the situation a "tragedy."

An autopsy on Jowers was scheduled Monday at the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab in Savannah.