A girl has been killed after picking up a loaded gun, apparently mistaking it for a Wii Remote gun-style controller.

Three year-old Cheyenne Alexis McKeehan from Wilson County Tennessee died from a single self-inflicted shot to the abdomen from a .380 calibre semi-automatic pistol.

It's believed the loaded firearm had been left in the living room of the girl’s house, after her stepfather thought he had heard a prowler outside.

Reports claim Douglas Robert Cronberger said he believed someone was trespassing on their property, so he stepped outside with his gun. When he returned inside, it's understood he placed the gun on a living room table.

According to the child’s mother, Cheyenne had been playing a Wii game that uses a gun peripheral - not one manufactured or approved by Nintendo - shortly before the accident occurred. The youngster was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.