Boy, 11, Charged in Fatal Shooting of Brother, 3

Police say it was accidental, but youth faces manslaughter
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 5, 2015 7:32 PM CDT
Boy, 11, Charged in Fatal Shooting of Brother, 3
The Detroit 3-year-old killed in a shooting for which his 11-year-old brother has been charged with manslaughter.   (gofundme.com)

An 11-year-old boy who allegedly shot and killed his 3-year-old brother in Detroit is facing criminal charges, though police say the shooting was accidental. It took place Monday after the 11-year-old got a gun from his father's bedroom closet and threw it out the window into the backyard, where he later retrieved it, reports CBS News. Police say the boy and his younger brother were then playing with the gun in a parked car when the 3-year-old was shot in the face. In addition to manslaughter, defined here as "death by a weapon aimed with intent but without malice," CBS Detroit reports the 11-year-old also has been charged with using a firearm during a felony.

"I cannot remember a time where we have charged someone so young with taking a life," says the county prosecutor. "Very unfortunately and very tragically, the alleged facts in this case demanded it." According to the Detroit Free Press, the 11-year-old "looked lost and frequently zoned out" during his hearing today, and his attorney claimed he may not be competent to stand trial. He is being held in the Juvenile Detention Center on $5,000 bail. The family has set up a GoFundMe page for the 3-year-old's funeral. (More guns stories.)

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