ABINGTON TOWNSHIP, PA – In Montgomery County, 15-year-old girl is facing adult charges after authorities say she fatally shot her former boyfriend, then left him alone in his apartment as he died earlier this week.
Police in Abington Township responded to a distress call Monday evening at an apartment complex on the 100 block of Old York Road. Arriving officers discovered 17-year-old Baseem “Seyven” Baker dead from a gunshot wound to the head in his bedroom, according to a statement from the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office.
Investigators allege that Precious Hamilton, who had been staying at the apartment over the weekend, was responsible for Baker’s death. Hamilton is charged with third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, possessing a firearm as a minor, and carrying a firearm without a license.
Authorities say Baker’s mother left the teenagers alone in the apartment Monday afternoon while she ran errands. When she returned two hours later, she found the door unexpectedly unlocked. After spending some time working on school assignments, she went to check on her son and found him unresponsive in his bedroom. Emergency personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.
According to court documents, Baker’s cousin recalled spending time with the pair the night before the shooting. During that visit, Hamilton allegedly pulled a loaded revolver—described as a “cowboy-style” firearm—from her bag and showed it off. The cousin told detectives that Hamilton expressed a desire to fire the gun out the bedroom window, but Baker persuaded her not to do so. Hamilton then “dry-fired” the weapon—pulling the trigger while it was unloaded—as the others watched. Investigators later found images and videos on Baker’s iPad depicting Hamilton holding the gun.
Detectives obtained surveillance footage from the building, which allegedly shows Hamilton leaving the apartment shortly before 3:30 p.m., soon after the shooting occurred.
During an interview with police, Hamilton admitted to stealing the firearm roughly two months prior to the incident. She described the events leading up to the shooting, stating that she and Baker had been lying on his bed and began fooling around. When she decided she wanted to stop, she reached for the gun hidden beneath the bed.
According to detectives, Hamilton said she grabbed the weapon quickly and was startled when it fired, striking Baker. She described Baker falling off the bed and collapsing onto the floor. Hamilton reportedly told police that panic set in, and instead of calling for help, she fled the apartment, later contacting her own mother to pick her up and bring her home.
The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office determined Baker’s death was a homicide following an autopsy. As of Thursday, the firearm used in the shooting had not yet been recovered by law enforcement.
The case has raised questions about gun access among juveniles and the circumstances that led to the fatal shooting. Hamilton is awaiting a court appearance as the investigation continues.