12-YO Boy Admits to Shooting His Mom Dead ‘Unintentionally’ After He ‘Fabricated a Story’ | ‘Tragedy for the Family'

Trigger Warning: This article mentions gun violence which readers may find distressing.

A 12-year-old boy from the state of Alabama has confessed to shooting his mother to death by accident, according to local police officials. A press release published by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) on Monday revealed that the child, who has not been identified, admitted to fatally shooting his mother Ayobiyi Cook, aged 29, at a home on Freemont Avenue in Forestdale. As per detectives investigating the case, they believe the boy "unintentionally discharged" the gun, leading to his mother's death. Initially, the child "fabricated a story" about the incident, but he "eventually gave a true account" of what actually occurred, PEOPLE Magazine reports.

The police department stated on Monday, "This offense is a tragedy for the Cook family and the entire community." In their initial press release, the police shared that officials were informed that "a man was seen fleeing from the residence shortly before the 911 call was made." However, following a thorough investigation, the JCSO found that "there appeared to be no forced entry into the home."

Throughout the course of their investigation, detectives determined that the boy's original story simply "was not possible." Evidence at the site of the shooting suggested the gunfire was "unintentional." The 12-year-old admitted to pulling the trigger shortly after.

The shooting incident will soon be addressed by the Alabama Family Court system. The young boy will continue to remain with his family at this time, police officials explained. They added that the family "has been cooperative throughout the process" so far. The boy's mother was married to a Birmingham police officer. Cook's husband was reportedly at his workplace when she passed away overnight. Her funeral will be held on Friday at noon at the New Bethlehem Baptist Church in Bessemer in Alabama, as per her obituary on the Faith Memorial Chapel Funeral Services website. Further to this, visitation will be held on Thursday afternoon at Faith Memorial's Bessemer Chapel.

Approximately a third of homes with children in the United States have guns. An estimated 4.6 million kids live with unlocked and loaded guns, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has found. Having firearms in the home increases the risk of unintentional shootings, suicide, and homicide. Between 2015 and 2020, there were at least 2,070 unintentional shootings by children that resulted in 765 deaths and 1,366 nonfatal gun injuries. In 2022 so far, there have been at least 169 unintentional shootings by children resulting in 74 deaths, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. AAP affirmed that the safest home for a child is one without guns.

References:

https://people.com/human-interest/12-year-old-alabama-boy-admits-to-accidentally-shooting-his-mom-to-death-officials-say/

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-home/Pages/Handguns-in-the-Home.aspx

https://everytownresearch.org/maps/notanaccident/

Cover Image Source: Facebook | Jefferson County Sheriff's Office