Three of the boy's siblings were jumping on the bed and he wanted to scare them, so he pointed the gun at them. But the safety was not on, and he shot his sibling in the head.
Trigger Warning: This story contains details of gun violence and murder that may be disturbing to readers.
A 13-year-old boy has been charged by authorities in Pennsylvania after he reportedly killed his 5-year-old brother.
He fatally shot his younger sibling on November 22, 2021, because he kept jumping on a bed, according to PEOPLE. The teenager has reportedly been charged as an adult but his name has been withheld because prosecutors plan to transfer the case to juvenile court to “allow a judge to decide what is the best course of supervision and treatment for this child,” adds Post-Gazzette. An official statement also mentioned that the state law does not allow criminal homicide charges to be filed in Juvenile Court.
He shot him, with a gun that was readily to hand.
— Asian Fusion (@DoNaytion) December 16, 2021
It’s difficult to imagine this happening in any other country.
Charge the parents. https://t.co/EAJzKoi6aC
Meanwhile, the young victim has been identified as Connor Wolfe, who was a kindergarten student in the Penn Hills School District. The shooting is said to have taken place in the family home and the parents were not at home when the incident occurred.
"The victim, a 5-year-old male, sustained a single gunshot wound and was transported to an area hospital, where he was pronounced deceased," reads a statement from the Allegheny County Police. "Detectives determined that four children (ages 13, 6, 5, and 3) were left unsupervised while a loaded and unsecured handgun was left within the reach of each child."
The teenager was questioned earlier this week and he confessed to his crimes, added the cops. He allegedly revealed that he shot his brother because he was angry at him and his other brothers for jumping on a bed, reports WPXI.
When the teen asked his three brothers to stop jumping, they refused to listen to him, which further infuriated him. To get them to stop, he took a loaded gun and pointed it at his siblings. "The 13-year-old pointed the firearm at his 5-year-old sibling and pulled the trigger while believing that the safety was on," reads the police statement, striking the victim in the head. The statement further notes detectives are "conferring with prosecutors to determine the level of parental culpability, for which criminal charges are anticipated."
OH MY WORD! Parents, if you feel the need to have a gun in your home, please please please don’t leave a loaded gun where a child can get it. Please lock up the unloaded gun and ammo in two different secure locations!! 😢
— Nan D'Assi (@nandassi) December 16, 2021
Police originally believed a 6-year-old sibling was the one who pulled the trigger. Allegheny County police said at least one parent will also likely be charged. “If you have firearms and small children in your home, those firearms should be locked or kept secure,” pleaded Peairs at a news conference Wednesday.
Josh Fleitman, who works with gun control advocate CeaseFirePA, is now lobbying for statewide legislation that calls for the mandatory securing of guns, with possible felony penalties if they get into the wrong hands. “There are bills in both the House and Senate in Harrisburg that is really quite simple,” he said. “They say ‘when the gun is not being used, when it’s not in direct control or possession of the owner, it’s got to be locked up securely.’"
References:
https://people.com/crime/pa-boy-5-was-allegedly-killed-by-brother-angry-he-was-jumping-on-the-bed/
Cover image source (Representative): Getty Images | 7713Photography
Disclaimer : The views expressed in this article belong to the writer and are not necessarily shared by womenworking.com
