Story highlights
Prosecutors say 11-year-old found a gun in dad's house and threw it out a window
They say he retrieved the gun and took it into a vehicle
A 3-year-old was shot and killed inside the vehicle, they say
An 11-year-old boy has been charged after being accused of using his father’s gun to shoot and kill a 3-year-old boy in Detroit.
While the 11-year-old, who isn’t being identified because of his age, was visiting his father’s house on Monday around 1:40 p.m. on Detroit’s east side, he allegedly took a handgun from a bedroom closet. The juvenile proceeded to throw the handgun out the window into his father’s backyard, the Wayne County Prosecutors Office said.
The boy retrieved the gun and jumped into a vehicle parked in the backyard. A short time later, the 3-year-old entered the same vehicle, the Prosecutors Office said.
It’s unclear what transpired after both boys were inside the vehicle, but one thing is clear: The young child was shot once in the face and killed.
“He always had a smile on his face, always smiling, and he loved his sisters,” said Denishia Walker, mother of 3-year-old Elijah Walker.
She described the older boy’s family as friends of her family.
The 11-year-old faces a charge of manslaughter, according to Mark Bernardi of the Wayne County Prosecutors Office. He also faces an additional felony firearm charge.
“I cannot remember a time where we have charged someone so young with taking a life. Very unfortunately and very tragically, the alleged facts in this case demanded it,” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a news release.
The boy appeared in court for a preliminary hearing in the Juvenile Detention Center on Wednesday afternoon. He was held on $5,000 bond.
Attempts by CNN to reach Beverly Anthony Walker, the lawyer representing the 11-year-old, have been unsuccessful.
CNN’s Camille Cava contributed to this report.