A 10-year-old boy in Missouri has been charged with first-degree murder after police say a 7-month-old baby girl was shot and killed inside a St. Louis home.
The child may be the youngest person ever charged with murder in Missouri, according to local reports.
St. Louis Metro Police said officers were called to a home on the 8400 block of North Broadway shortly after 4 p.m. on Friday, June 26, after receiving a report of a shooting.
When officers arrived, they found 7-month-old Kiyomi Parker inside the home with gunshot wounds. She was rushed to a local hospital, but later died from her injuries.
Detectives allege that a 10-year-old boy shot the infant. He was taken into juvenile custody after the shooting.
Police announced the next day, Saturday, June 27, that the boy had been charged with first-degree murder, according to First Alert 4, FOX 2 Now and KSDK.
The baby’s father, 19-year-old Ca’Marion Pawnell, was also charged in connection with the case. He faces charges of second-degree murder, first-degree child endangerment resulting in the death of a child and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child by creating substantial risk.
According to First Alert 4, a 7-year-old child was also inside the home when the shooting happened.
Court documents obtained by First Alert 4 and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch state that witnesses told police the 10-year-old picked up the gun and shot the baby.
Investigators said they later learned that Pawnell allegedly kept a gun underneath a mattress in the home. Authorities said the 10-year-old knew where the gun was stored.
According to a probable cause statement cited by KSDK, the boy shot the infant in the head.
Court documents obtained by First Alert 4 also state that the 10-year-old allegedly told detectives he knew the gun would be accessible to him for an extended period of time. He also allegedly said he had previously taken the gun out from under the mattress.
Pawnell allegedly told investigators the gun belonged to him and that he had placed it underneath the mattress.
Under Missouri law, juveniles must be at least 12 years old to be certified to stand trial as adults, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Because the boy is 10, he is expected to be handled through the juvenile court system.
The case has stunned the community, not only because of the baby’s death, but because of the age of the child now accused in the shooting.
Police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding Kiyomi’s death.
Ca’Marion… that is all we need to know…these trashy people don’t have money for anything but guns…