In a heart-wrenching incident in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, a three-year-old girl named Braya A'rya Nakole Sanders died on Friday, March 26, 2021. The cause of her death was a gunshot wound to the head. Investigations revealed that the fatal shot was accidentally fired by her five-year-old brother. The children had been in their home at the Cambridge Square Apartment Complex when the tragedy occurred.
According to reports, the children's parents, Brea Sanders and Martaz Colvin Sr., were in another room when they heard a loud bang. They discovered Braya injured and their son expressing remorse. It is believed the young boy accessed an unsecured 9mm pistol that his father had placed on top of the refrigerator. The parents rushed the young girl to Forbes Hospital, but she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office officially ruled her death a homicide.
In the aftermath of the tragic event, both parents faced criminal charges. Martaz Colvin was charged with involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of children, and recklessly endangering another person. Brea Sanders was charged with endangering the welfare of children and reckless endangerment. In December 2023, both parents pleaded guilty to the charges against them. Martaz Colvin was sentenced to six years of probation, with the first year to be served under electronic home monitoring. Brea Sanders received a sentence of four years of probation. Both were also ordered to undergo mental health evaluations.
Braya A'rya Nakole Sanders was born in Pittsburgh on August 31, 2017. She was the youngest child and only daughter of Brea Sanders and Martaz Colvin Sr. and had three older brothers. Described as a happy little girl with a heart of gold, she was loved by everyone who knew her. Her obituary remembered her electric smile and beautiful laugh, and her love for simple childhood joys like watching cartoons, going to Kennywood park, and getting her nails painted.
