A 5-year-old in Brooklyn, Park, Minnesota, was shot and killed on Thanksgiving by a 13-year-old who accidentally fired a gun while a group of kids were making a video for social media, according to local police. Brooklyn Park Police responded to a home on Florida Avenue around 10:20 p.m.
Thursday in response to reports of a child who had been shot, police said in a statement on Facebook Friday. Officers “attempted to render first aid; however, the child died at the scene,” police said.
Police determined through a preliminary investigation that a 13-year-old boy was “handling a gun” inside the home, police said. “Several other juveniles were present as they were attempting to make a social media video.”
It remains unclear exactly what circumstances led up to the shooting, but at some point the teen “shot the gun striking the 5-year-old,” police said, adding investigators believe the shooting was accidental.
The teen was arrested and is currently in custody at the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention Center, police said. The investigation is ongoing.
Burley urged adult firearm owners to keep them out of the reach of kids.
“Lock them up, and lock the ammo up separate,” the deputy chief reportedly said. “We as adults, it’s our obligation to make sure [kids] don’t have access to them.”
A neighbor told WCCO that she empathizes with the teen shooter.
“I’m sure it’s an accident, you know. I’m sure he is freaking out,” she said. “He is only a kid so now he is losing his life and [a] 5-year-old lost his life.”
Parents of the house should be locked up.
Absolutely – and someone needs to throw away the key…
Why would a 13 year old be playing with a gun? I started shooting at 12 but that was with adult supervision, We need to teach all kids proper gun safety not guns are bad.
The safest is really to keep guns and amunition at all times very separately – I am glad I did way back in 1989
I taught both my sons about responsible firearm use when they were about 10 yrs. old. We went to a shooting range, and I set a can of soda on the ground, after I had shaken it up. I fired a round in it, and told them this is what it looks like to get shot. The can exploded and bounced up in the air. I told them this was just from a .22 caliber. Weapons are NOT toys, and if you get shot you don’t bounce back from the consequences. I taught them to treat EVERY gun as if it is loaded. My youngest is a responsible owner and his children are avid hunters. My oldest is not so much, but he remembers those things his old man taught him.