Deputy Chief Jeff Estes of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said during a news conference that the shooting happened just after 9 pm Saturday while a family celebration was ongoing in the front yard, according to the Associated Press.
The unidentified 9-year-old girl died at a hospital. Two adults and another child suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were treated at the scene.
Estes said: "We have a lot of soul searching to do when as a city, and as a country, a 9-year-old girl isn't safe playing in her front yard."
No motive has been determined. Police are investigating.