Luthersburg, Pennsylvania – A 14-year-old boy in Pennsylvania has been charged as an adult with murder after a tragic incident involving the shooting of a 12-year-old girl over the weekend. The shooting took place in the small community of Luthersburg in Brady Township, approximately 100 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, according to court documents.
Pennsylvania State Police responded to the boy’s home on Sunday evening after receiving a report of a young girl who had been shot with a pistol. Upon arrival, officers found the girl in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head. She was rushed to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Children’s Hospital, where she unfortunately succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead on Wednesday.
The investigation revealed that the suspected shooter, the 14-year-old boy, allegedly retrieved his father’s Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun and asked the victim if she wanted to see it. Tragically, the boy then pointed the firearm at the girl, asked if it was loaded, and proceeded to pull the trigger, resulting in the fatal shot to the head.
Following the incident, the boy’s father informed authorities that he did not believe his son knew where the gun was stored. He explained that while he loads the magazines for his firearms, he never loads a bullet into the chamber. The possibility that the boy may have inserted a round into the chamber was raised during the investigation.
The boy was subsequently charged as an adult with third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, and reckless endangerment. Clearfield County District Attorney Ryan Sayers described the decision as a challenging one, emphasizing that under the law, murder is considered a non-delinquent act regardless of the perpetrator’s age.
As the legal proceedings unfold, the teen remains incarcerated without bond at the county jail. A preliminary hearing for the case is scheduled for May 10. The relationship between the children involved in the tragic incident was clarified as not familial, shedding light on the circumstances that led to the devastating outcome.