Teen, 12-Year-Old Were Playing With Stolen Guns When One Went Off Killing The Child: Police

A teen and a child stole guns from cars, police said. When they went back home and one went off, the 12-year-old was killed and the teen was accused of murder.

Around 9 a.m. on May 3, police in Valdosta, Georgia, responded to a home after a report of a person was shot. When officers arrived, they found a 12-year-old with a gunshot wound to his head.

The victim was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to Valdosta police. The name of the boy has not been released.

Investigators determined the 12-year-old and a 16-year-old friend had broken into vehicles throughout the night. The duo stole several guns from inside the vehicles, police said.

They went back to the teen’s home, where they were in a bedroom playing with a couple of the guns, police said. The weapon the teen held went off and hit the victim in the head.

Police found six guns in the home, including five that were stolen from cars overnight.

The teen was taken into custody without incident and their name has not been released. The juvenile was charged with second-degree murder, second-degree cruelty to children, three counts of theft by entering auto, possession of a firearm by a minor and tampering with evidence.

The 16-year-old is being held in a youth detention center.