An 11-year-old boy has been charged after being accused of using his father’s gun to shoot and kill a 3-year-old boy in Detroit.
While the 11-year-old, who isn’t being identified because of his age, was visiting his father’s house on Monday at around 1:40 p.m. on Detroit’s east side, he allegedly took a handgun from a bedroom closet. The juvenile proceeded to throw the handgun out of the window into his father’s backyard, the Wayne County Prosecutors Office said.
The boy retrieved the gun and jumped into a vehicle parked in the backyard. A short time later, the 3-year-old entered the same vehicle, the Prosecutors Office said.
It’s unclear what transpired after both boys were inside the vehicle, but one thing is clear: The young child was shot once in the face and killed.
“He always had a smile on his face, always smiling, and he loved his sisters,” said Denishia Walker, mother of 3-year-old Elijah Walker.
She described the older boy’s family as friends of her family.
The 11-year-old now faces a charge of manslaughter, according to Mark Bernardi of the Wayne County Prosecutors Office. He also faces an additional felony firearm charge.
“I cannot remember a time where we have charged someone so young with taking a life. Very unfortunately and very tragically, the alleged facts in this case demanded it,” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a news release.
The boy appeared in court for a preliminary hearing in the Juvenile Detention Center on Wednesday afternoon. He was held on $5,000 bond.
Attempts by CNN to reach Beverly Anthony Walker, the lawyer representing the 11-year-old, have been unsuccessful.
