An 11-year-old girl has been arrested over the fatal shooting of her 15-year-old brother at their home in Edmond, Oklahoma, after allegedly telling their mother that someone else had shot him.
The mother was away from the property when her daughter called following the incident on Wednesday afternoon. Police arrived at about 4pm and found the teenage boy dead from an apparent gunshot wound.
Investigators believe the girl was the only other person inside the house at the time. Police have not disclosed what happened before the shooting.
Edmond Police Department spokesperson Emily Ward said officers found “a male juvenile inside, 15 years old, who was deceased from an apparent gunshot wound”. According to ABC News, the boy had been shot in the head, although police have not publicly confirmed that detail.
The girl was arrested shortly before 1am on Thursday, around nine hours after officers were called to the home. She was taken to a juvenile detention facility and booked on a complaint of second-degree murder.
No formal charge has been filed by the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office. The names of the children have not been released because of their ages.
“We believe that she was the only other individual in the house at that time,” Ms Ward said.
Edmond police said: “We recognise this is a heartbreaking situation for the family involved. Our thoughts are with them as they grieve this tragedy.”
The arrests shocked neighbours in the otherwise quiet community. Richard New said: “It was shocking that it was them. The parents always seemed friendly, kids seemed friendly. Didn’t see the daughter much.”
His wife, Michelle New, said: “It is happening in our neighbourhood. There are no words. Definitely the last house on the block we would have expected anything like this to happen.”
Other residents said they had regularly seen the siblings together and believed they appeared close. One woman who often saw the girl walking home from the bus described her as “sweet”.
Girl will be dealt with in juvenile court
Oklahoma attorney Ed Blau said a child aged 11 accused of a felony cannot be prosecuted as an adult in the state, meaning the case will be handled through the juvenile court system.
“This case will not move through the same court system as an adult murder case,” Mr Blau said. “Because the suspect is 11, the case will be handled in juvenile court.”
He said Oklahoma’s juvenile laws also restrict the detention of children aged 12 and under, but that the girl could be held until she turns 19 because of the seriousness of the allegation.
Mr Blau added that prosecutors were likely to examine how the child allegedly gained access to the firearm and whether the adults responsible for the children had been negligent.
