According to police, the teen shooter was reportedly filming a social media video with a group of other youths.
A 5-year-old Minnesota boy was accidentally shot dead on Thanksgiving by his 13-year-old relative when the teen and a group of other kids were attempting to record a social media video, officials said.
According to police, four or five other children had reportedly found a rifle in the home and were in the garage recording a video to post on social media when the teen accidentally fired the weapon, according to a statement by the Brooklyn Park Police, WCCO News reported.
Officers from the Brooklyn Park Police Department responded to a call of a shooting at a home in the 8000-block of Florida Avenue at 10:19 p.m. Thursday. When officers arrived they tried to save the young boy, but the child had already died at the scene, according to a press release by the Brooklyn Park Police Department.
“Preliminary information leads investigators to believe that the 13-year-old male who fired the weapon accidentally shot the 5-year-old victim,” officials said.
“This is a very unfortunate accident that requires a very detailed investigation, which is ongoing right now,” Brooklyn Park Police Deputy Chief Mark Bruley said.
The authorities said that there were adults inside the home at the time of the tragedy, and police are investigating how the children were able to access the rifle. It was also unclear who was supposed to be supervising the children, WCCO reported.
Bruley urged gun owners to keep any type of firearms out of the reach of children.
“Lock them up, and lock the ammo up separate,” he said. “We, as adults, it’s our obligation to make sure [kids] don’t have access to them.
The 13-year-old boy was taken into custody and could face manslaughter charges. The gun owner could also face criminal charges pending the outcome of the investigation, the deputy chief said, The New York Post reported.
The teen is currently at Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center, the release said.
The Brooklyn Park Police Department is investigating the incident, according to the statement.
