Expand / Collapse search
☰

12-year-old boy fatally shot in basement of Detroit home; 13-year-old in custody

By and Amber Ainsworth
Published  July 19, 2022 11:02pm EDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 2 Detroit

12-year-old killed by 13-year-old in accidental shooting in Detroit

Detroit Police Chief James White said it appears the victim and three teens were playing with handguns when he was killed. The group was in the basement of a west side home while an adult was asleep upstairs.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - A 12-year-old boy was shot and killed Tuesday night in the basement of a Detroit home.

Police said the victim was with a 13-year-old and two 19-year-olds at the home in the 11300 block of Bramell around 9 p.m. A man who is believed to be the father of the victim was upstairs, possibly asleep, police said. 

Two handguns were recovered, including the one used to kill the victim. The 13-year-old is now in custody.

"I don't know what happened yet, but the story is troubling at this point," Detroit Police Chief James White said.

He said the teens may have been playing with the weapons, and the shooting appears to be accidental. White said the shooting may have had something to do with social media.

Police are still investigating the circumstances of the shooting.