The sister of an 18-year-old who died 15 years ago after being shot with an air rifle in Bury is raising awareness of how dangerous the weapons can be.
On December 7, 2008, Rachel Davies was accidentally shot in the eye with an air rifle while at a friend's flat on Oram Street.
She was taken to hospital but a pellet from the rifle had lodged in her brain and she died from her injuries two days before Christmas.
Rachel's sister, Katie Davies, 29, said she wants people to realise the danger of air rifles and honour Rachel's memory following the 15th anniversary of her death.
She said: “Air rifles can be bought so easily online, it is not safe.
“I only recently saw a Greater Manchester Police post on Facebook saying that an air rifle had been seized.
“When I went to the comments, so many people said that they are not dangerous and shouldn’t be seized when in fact, they are, Rachel’s case is proof of that.”
She added: “I look at the news for air rifle incidents and saw another one just last month.
“I can't believe people don’t think they are not dangerous, they are not toys to be played with.”
Three men were charged with possession of a firearm without a licence following the tragic incident but later cleared.
An inquest at Rochdale Coroners' Court recorded a verdict of accidental death
The hearing was told that one of Rachel’s friends was “larking about” with the weapon, but had not intended to harm her.
Read more: Accidental death verdict in air rifle shooting case
He said his finger went nowhere near the trigger and a firearms expert said the gun was in an unbelievably poor condition and tests proved it could fire by itself.
After her death, donations were used to fund "Rachel House", situated in Uganda, which takes in orphans and aids vulnerable families.
Katie said: “Her name is a legacy both in Uganda, here, and through my seven-year-old daughter too, whose middle name is Rachel.”
Rachel’s funeral was held on January 19, 2009.
Donations from this were passed on to build Rachel’s House with the help of Bury African Outreach.
Initially, three families were able to be housed at a time, this has now increased to 10.
Katie added: “It’s lovely hearing about it all and how that money raised in her memory is making a difference.
“It is so important to keep legacies going, to make an impact and help others.”
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