A young brother accidentally shot his sibling dead, WA cops say

A 9-year-old boy was shot in the head by his 8-year-old brother on May 19, 2022, after the two played with the older brother's gun, police said.

A 9-year-old boy was shot in the head by his 8-year-old brother on May 19, 2022, after the two played with the older brother’s gun, police said.

AP

Authorities in Washington said an 8-year-old boy was playing with his older brother’s gun and accidentally shot his 9-year-old brother in the head.

Now their 18-year-old brother is facing charges months after the incident for leaving his weapon in a dangerous place, King County prosecutors said in charging documents Nov. 15.

Prosecutors said the man left the gun on the bed while he was in the shower on May 19 in Federal Way.

Prosecutors said his 8-year-old and 9-year-old brothers went into his room and took possession of the gun.

They took turns pulling the trigger and the gun went off when the 8-year-old pulled it, pointing it at his brother, prosecutors said.

According to the documents, a 9-year-old boy was shot in the head, but his life was not threatened.

A man told his mother he bought the gun after another of his siblings was beaten at a bus stop, according to a police probable cause report.

He also told investigators he bought the gun “from some dude” for $200 at the transit center, police said.

He faces a charge of first-degree criminal endangerment for dangerous possession of a firearm.

Helena Wegner is McClatchy’s real-time national reporter covering Washington state and the western region. She graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication with a degree in journalism. She is in Phoenix.

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