Lyon, Mississippi – Two weeks after a tragic incident in Lyon, Mississippi, where a 13-year-old boy accidentally shot his friend, the parents of the alleged shooter are now facing charges related to the fatal shooting.
Reports from the Coahoma County Sheriff’s Office indicate that the two 13-year-olds were unsupervised and playing with a handgun when the accidental shooting occurred. The incident took place on March 15, leaving one child critically injured after being hit once in the upper torso.
Following a 911 call, sheriff’s deputies quickly responded to the scene in Lyon, a small town with less than 300 residents in the Mississippi Delta. Despite the deputy administering CPR to the injured child, he tragically succumbed to his injuries after being rushed to the hospital.
The victim, a student at Coahoma County Junior High School, remains unidentified as per Carol Dixon, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office. The other 13-year-old involved in the incident, whose name is also withheld due to his age, has been arrested and charged as an adult with manslaughter by culpable negligence. In Mississippi, children as young as 13 can be charged as adults, making it one of the youngest age exceptions in the country.
The parents of the alleged shooter, Lashaner Marshall, 49, and Gill Marshall, Sr., 65, were arrested and charged on March 28. Both are facing charges of contributing to the neglect or delinquency of a child, with Gill Marshall, Sr. also charged with possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
The gun involved in the shooting reportedly belonged to Gill Marshall, Sr. Both parents are currently held at Coahoma County Jail, with no confirmation yet if they have made bond. The circumstances of the case are set to be examined by the County Court of Coahoma County, where the family members may decide on legal representation and plea to the charges.